A New World
by blackstarlight17
Summary: Phineas and gang find themselves in a new world they have no idea even going to. They're alone, scared, and lost, forced to survive in a new environment and stay together or lose each other forever. They encounter things, encounter people they didn't expect to see, forging friendships and enemies that'll change who they are. (Genre may change)
1. Chapter 1

_**Originally posted on Deviantart, only hesitated because I can't think of a good summary, still can't think of a good one, but I simply didn't want to wait anymore.**_

_**Any ideas for a better summary, title, even genre are more than welcome.**_

_**Been trying to follow the canon series, but between losing cable and Disney site in general being a bitch, I hadn't kept up on Phineas and Ferb as well as I would like. So if there are any parts I screwed up, please let me know.**_

_**It may seem silly, but I'd like to try and keep some of them canon, personality wise while changing it due to the plot of the story.**_

_**Warnings:**_

_**This fic "WILL" get graphic in later chapters, so if you're not comfortable with gore, violence, psychological trauma, etc. then don't read.**_

_**There will be crossovers with multiple fandoms, again, if you're not into that, then don't read.**_

_**The main fandoms mentioned will be between Elfen Lied and Bleach, others will be mentioned or hinted, cookies for those who can figure them out.**_

_**There will be some yaoi/yuri pairings as well as straight, as for what the pairings are, you'll have to find out, some even I haven't fully decided on myself, others I have. If you're not into that, then don't read.**_

_**I will "NOT" be repeating this again, the warning is right above on this first chapter, so take heed and please don't complain for not giving warning.**_

_**Dates of when I post will be every Thursday/Friday in order to ensure I keep ahead of the fic so I have hopes to actually completing it.**_

_**Other than that, I hope you enjoy.**_

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><p>"Huh? What…what happened?" a redheaded boy groaned, feeling his head wet, hair matted down.<p>

Soon the daze cleared up when tasting copper in his mouth, realizing it was blood causing his heart to start racing of what could've happened, fearing the worst.

"Ferb! Where…where are you guys!"

"Over here…" the voice of the boy's older sister groaned as she got to her feet.

She was about to yell at her brothers about telling their mother before feeling a pair of hands on her shoulders, helping her up when nearly falling.

"Jeremy! You're bleeding!" she gasped in horror.

Her eyes widened when seeing blood staining the front of his shirt along with signs of bleeding on other parts of his body.

All in all, he was in pretty bad shape, same with the others when taking notice of her surroundings better.

"So are you guys," he sighed, gritting his teeth a little to ignore the pain as he helped her back down in a sitting position.

He began tending to her bleeding knee, unintentionally having her skirt rise up to far, thankfully not far enough to see anything.

"S-s-sorry…" he stuttered, blushing brightly of what happened along with the teenage redhead.

"It's fine, not like you did it on purpose," she half joked, knowing it was true.

Her attention was drawn along with the other when hearing a shrill voice call out towards her younger brother, knowing who it was exactly.

"Phineas!"

Isabella was already running to his side, forcing him to sit still as she examined him with her Fireside Girl skills.

She could tell that his head had been bleeding but appeared to have stopped, but unsure if the wound was worse than it looked.

All she could really tell was that parts of his vibrant red hair had taken a deeper tone thanks to the crimson liquid.

The girl herself seemed less injured, most likely used her skills to avoid getting seriously hurt or simply got lucky. Either way, she was still pretty roughed up, needing a few bandages to protect them until they scabbed and healed properly.

Seeing he was okay enough, she reluctantly left the boy's side, telling him to stay seated in the case of a concussion.

Walking over to the others, she examined Ferb, finding he was a little worse than Phineas, likely using his body to protect the boy. They were just about next to each other, even where they are now, so it wouldn't be much of a surprise.

Baljeet and Buford, when checking them over found they were scuffed up, though the Indian boy was less battered. While the bully wouldn't admit it, it was obvious that whatever happened, he used his body as a shield to protect the smaller male.

Finding there was a water fountain nearby, she went over to it, grabbing some empty bottles they had, recognizing them as theirs before waking to this.

Filling them up, she told them to share one as she used the others to help wash their injuries.

She knew that she should call for an ambulance, but based on the sky and their location, they were roughly alone. She didn't even know where they were in Danville, unsure if it was disorientation or something more. Right now, she needed to patch her friends up before they took any other actions.

She was just grateful their clothes, albeit dirty from the ground and their blood, were in decent enough condition.

Finding her bag, she pulled her Fireside Girl book out, turning it to the medical section; grateful she got the patches and knowledge for it. Who would've thought she'd need it like this though?

Cleaning their cuts and, forcing them to suck it up when it came to making them remove their shirts, the boys mostly to check for more injuries. Thankfully they didn't have anything serious, mostly what looked like bruising, something they'll have to deal with as she would too.

In the end, everyone was a little cleaner and layered in bandaging over the more serious injuries.

Glancing around, Phineas was starting to feel better as he sipped the water before passing it to Buford.

"Hey, where's Perry?" he asked nervously, blue eyes filled with worry. "Wasn't he with us when…when this happened?"

"I thought I saw him wandering around the corner of the house… Maybe he didn't get caught in whatever happened?" Isabella tried to comfort, knowing that it was partially true.

She did see the platypus scuttle around the corner, figuring he smelled some worms to eat or something. But she couldn't be certain if whatever happened dragged the poor animal along or not, hoping for the latter.

She really did like the platypus and it'd break her heart if he got hurt, seeing Phineas crying if he was hurt, especially if it was their own doing.

"Guys, this doesn't look like Danville," Baljeet whimpered as he hugged himself, rubbing his hands over his arms.

He could feel goosebumps littering the skin, even under the bandages as he nervously glanced around.

"What exactly happened?" Jeremy asked as he held his girlfriend's hand, "I remember swinging by to pick Candace up, saw you guys, then I blacked out."

"I don't remember much either," Phineas admitted as he sat on the dirt, knees drawn up with tears threatening to start falling. "I remember Ferb and I were in the process of making flying bumper cars, Isabella and the guys came by to help out so we could all have fun. You know, the usual we do."

"I swore I heard an explosion, then the ground started shaking," Buford added, knowing it'll send everyone into a frenzy, it sure did with him.

"You think there was an earthquake?" the younger girl asked nervously, fearing for her family, dog, and her friends' families.

"I don't know, if there was, then why are we here and not home?" Candace added as she tried to recognize anything.

"I think we can agree on this, whatever happened, we all must've hit our heads rather hard not to remember much," Ferb spoke softly, knees drawn up.

The action made him look so much smaller and younger than he usually looked, enough to drag Candace away from the blonde.

Reaching them, she knelt down to wrap her arms around him and Phineas, comforting them as they began letting tears fall in small trickles.

"I wanna go home," Baljeet whimpered as he started to cry.

He was beginning to lose it, the others starting to shake between fear and resisting the urge to start crying as well.

Managing to pull herself together, Candace knew she had to be strong, not fall apart when seeing her stepbrother and the neighborhood bully losing it.

"Isabella, you have more experience as a Fireside Girl than I do. Is there anything in that book that could be of help? Like advice on what to do in a situation like this, or close enough?" she asked, looking to the younger girl, even offering to take the book if she couldn't focus.

Looking through, the raven haired girl found some pages that matched somewhat to their situation, namely being in unfamiliar territory.

"Aside from checking for any others with us, and it looks like we're the only ones here…" she began, feeling her eyes tearing up a little before blinking them back. "And we aren't in a forest, there're lights and buildings, so we should try to find a library that's open still or maybe a cyber café. We can use the computers to find out where we are exactly, it might even help jog or memory of what might've happened."

"Sounds like a plan," the eldest sibling sighed in some relief, praying that they may get a break.

Immediately, they began packing what they could, using pockets and bags that they had on them to carry what they may need.

There wasn't much, just a few water bottles Isabella used to help clean their cuts and rehydrate them. There was some debris from whatever the boys were building, though they were completely useless, some even too big to try carrying.

Wordlessly, she felt Phineas grip her hand, his other hand occupying Ferb's as he dragged them along.

Others followed, Jeremy keeping ahead with Isabella next to him, a protective hand over her shoulder.

Despite their differences, Baljeet and Buford stayed close to each other, but kept close to the group, mostly the siblings in case of trouble.

Wandering the city, they got a few stares from people, but no one really bothered to check on them. If anything, they were staring more at the siblings than their ragged appearances. Some people even looked nervous, taking the chance to avoid them than take pity and help.

The teens felt a bit miffed by it, but shrugged it off, knowing once they find out where they are and call home; they can put it behind them.

"There's one of those cafés!" Phineas' voice chirped excitedly.

"Finally, wasn't sure if we would ever find one," Candace sighed in relief before yelping as she nearly tripped when the boy took off towards it. "Slow down! You're going to pull our arms off!"

"Sorry!"

Getting inside, hoping they won't get thrown out, they managed to find a computer farther from the others.

They didn't need to risk people eavesdropping on them, though to avoid hassles, they pulled out what money they had, buying some drinks and snacks.

If there was one thing they could agree on, they were famished, not knowing how long they were out, nor did they want to know.

Despite some stares, again more focused on the trio than the others, they ignored them, Phineas nearly hanging off of Baljeet's shoulder as he typed away.

"Any luck?" Jeremy asked, returning with the sodas and snacks, handing them around to the others.

He glanced at those glued to the computer; however, he felt his heart drop to his stomach when seeing the hopeful look on their faces dropping fast.

"What's wrong?" he asked, not wanting to ask, but knew he had to or it'd drive him insane. He just hoped whatever the answer was didn't drive him insane as well.

"There…there's no Danville, _our_ Danville here, or anywhere…" the redheaded boy whimpered, pulling away from the machine. "No history, nothing of our mayor, of Love Händel. It's almost like it never even existed, like it's been replaced with a completely different one. It's as if we're in a completely different world…"

Immediately the tears returned, falling freely down his face before feeling his sister pick him up, patting his back to calm him down.

"_Shh_…_shh_…it's okay, we'll find a way back home. If any one of us can figure it out, it'll be you guys."

"Really?" the boy asked, looking to his sister with hope.

"Yeah, you guys do so many amazing things. Once we figure out how we got here, then we can work on getting home. Think of it like that time you wanted to make the longest summer day? We thought we were done for, that we wouldn't get back, then after a pep talk, you came up with that brilliant paper plane and slingshot to send us home. We just need to be patient and try to stay calm."

"You're right, thanks, Candace, you're the best!" the boy laughed, starting to feel more optimistic as he hugged her tightly. "Course it would be better if this was just a really crazy dream we're having."

"I'd rather have that _any_ day," the teen joked with the others smiling, beginning to feel better after watching the affectionate display.

Deciding to finish their drinks and food, they left the café, knowing it'll be due to close soon. Plus they were low on money and now had to be wiser with it than they were moments before.

Wandering around, they found a rather empty park, unsure if it was the same one they woke up in or not. Right now, it didn't fully matter, they needed to sit and rest, then start thinking what to do next.

"Should we go to the police?" Baljeet wondered before getting a light smack from Buford, making him cry out as he held his head. "What?"

"Don't be stupid," the bully scolded, "we're in another world, what can the police do for us other than ship us off to foster care?"

Gulps could be heard, the siblings clinging to one another, the smallest of the group letting a small whine out as he realized his mistake.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so scared," he cried softly, burying his face into his knees.

"We all are, normally I'd agree with you, but Buford makes a good point. Who would believe we're from Danville if the one we know doesn't even exist?" Jeremy sighed as he sat down with the boy, rubbing his back gently. "I hate to say it, but we're completely on our own. We need to find out how to survive and use stealth to avoid getting found out we're technically homeless."

"Could we try a homeless shelter?" Phineas asked nervously as he glanced up.

"No, it'd raise warning flags being we're all underage. We'll have to literally rough it outdoors, find means of support and try to stay under the radar."

"But we barely have enough money, how could we survive outdoors?"

"Maybe we could stay in abandon buildings?" Candace suggested, getting surprised stares by a few. "What? If they aren't guarded, we could use them to our advantage. We'd have decent shelter if it rains, and if we stay here longer, could provide some shelter when the cold weather hits."

"I hope we don't stay _that_ long…"

"I hope so too…"

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	2. Chapter 2

Eventually they found themselves an abandoned building, reading that it was due for demolition coming spring.

Scanning it, they found no signs of security watching it, or if they did, hopefully won't take notice of a group of kids sneaking to sleep and seek shelter.

Settling around, finding some scraps of tarps and such to make due as blankets, they set themselves up for sleep, knowing they would have a big day ahead of them.

As morning came, despite being hungry, they sat together, knowing they had to think of what to do regarding money. They couldn't steal nor beg for money and food without drawing attention to themselves.

Therefore they decided to do what any normal kid would do, get summer jobs and save up as much as they could. They would only spend what they earned on what they absolutely needed, when it was needed.

Candace and Jeremy knew they couldn't get official part time jobs without proper credentials, without a home most of all.

Therefore, between doing odd jobs around town, they scouted, much to their discomfort, some shady apartments that wouldn't think twice.

Scanning different places, the young woman glanced at her boyfriend, seeing that without the kids around, he let his optimism drop a little.

Knowing exactly what, or who he was thinking about, she placed a hand over his shoulder to try and comfort him.

"We'll find her, I'm sure of it," she reassured, seeing him give a bitter smile.

"Thanks, I just hope Suzy's safe."

"I'm sure she is."

With that, the rest of the day went on, the teenagers managing to find a few odd jobs around, hoping the kids are having some luck themselves.

When getting back, they traded stories on what they did; managing to learn that while people did seem wary, almost nervous.

They knew it had to be because of how the brother's hair looked much like with their sister. Yet, despite that, some people did hire them, mostly to help walk their dog or mow lawns if they could.

Some even offered to help clean gutters for older people, getting a little more in pay. Phineas even mentioned how he and Isabella when they worked at one house had been offered a lunch and permission to borrow their bathroom to wash up.

Ferb, having risked being on his own collected any empty bottles and such that were deemed recyclable.

When he got enough that he could carry without the bag he found ripping or toppling himself, he found a place to redeem them.

It wasn't much, earning only a couple of dollars after hours of work, but it was at least something. Especially when seeing as no one would hire him because of his hair color it seems.

It frustrated him, and with his already awkward social skills, it made it even harder to try and ask why.

Baljeet told them about how he and Buford, likely because of the boy's timid nature, when passing some restaurants, the owners offered some scraps to take.

It was obvious that they looked homeless, but the fact no calls were made or attempts to take them away felt strange, almost alien.

A little unsure about it at all, Candace, when she had time to herself, decided to look for a library.

Finding it, she began looking through the computers, doing research, being very careful what she chose to print to bring back and share her findings.

Thankfully the cost to print was extremely cheap, so she barely spent anything when she was done.

All in all, she felt bad for the world they were in, reading about some group she wasn't sure about called diclonii being the main issue.

An economy crisis happened, though it's exact details were hard to figure out, hence why she had them printed.

If anyone could put it together better, it'd be Baljeet and Ferb, they were the smartest, at least they made themselves appear so.

What did worry her was that because of what's happened, the numbers of homeless had recently increased. Meaning even if they _did_ try a shelter, they likely wouldn't be accepted. It looked like not even an orphanage or any place would them in because of how many _are_ without homes.

She wasn't sure to consider it a curse or a blessing, all she knew was that they get to stay together longer.

"Oh man, this world is more messed up than I thought," Jeremy sighed as he and the others looked the papers over.

"Tell me about it," the redhead sighed as she glanced at the papers.

"Candace, what are diclonii?" Phineas asked, sitting almost in her lap when he stared at the papers, seeing the word popping up more than once.

"I don't know. I didn't really bother looking into it. I wanted to learn more about this place than anything else. You know, find out if we're in any actual danger being separated," she answered, letting her hand run through his hair.

"Oh…but why would people not like these diclonii though, it doesn't really make any sense?"

"Who knows, let's just hope we don't find out any time soon," she stated, giving him a firm hug as he leaned into her.

From there, days passed, crawling into weeks and soon most of summer was gone, money slowly saved and spent when needed.

The teenagers eventually found a place that looked habitable, but questionable when seeing the residents and landlord.

It was perfect, more so thanks to the mentioned landlord appearing half baked most of the time they secretly spied on him and the complex.

All they had to do now was save enough money when seeing what was needed, having cleaned up to get a tour of the unit, appearing interested.

Yup, the guy was half baked alright, didn't ask for their identifications and smelled like choking smoke, the two grateful the kids weren't with them.

But they found the unit was well stocked, learning that the previous occupants refused to pay rent for whatever reason, so left, leaving all their stuff behind.

The two could only guess that whoever lived here prior likely lost their job and couldn't afford not only to stay, but hire movers to take their things.

It was pitiful, but they had to find a way to earn enough and claim this place as theirs before someone else does.

Therefore, they worked tirelessly on odd jobs they could do, grateful that while a lot of people were wary, were becoming more and more open. It became noticeable one time they had Ferb with them and an adult took the chance to ruffle the boy's hair.

They had helped the guy out, though instead of earning money as they secretly wished, they did get some food, albeit stale.

Seeing the relieved look on his face, as if touching the boy's hair meant something caused him to be more generous with his handouts.

It was strange to the teens, but they shook it off, right now, they didn't want to raise questions, not reveal anything more amiss than they may already give.

At some point, they managed to earn quite a bit of money, but it was still a long ways off, having to work almost double.

A few times, Candace almost considered going to the riskier parts of town she'd pass, only to shake her head. If her brothers ever found out, even if they knew her intentions were to help them, they may not forgive her. And she did _not_ want to think how Jeremy would react if she did that, nor did she want to think if he thought of doing the same thing.

When they all reunited again, everyone was using the abandoned building as their temporary home, turning parts more livable due to the extended stay.

They found the place had been a home, finding a couple of old bathrooms, albeit one was torn up pretty badly. Probably to get at the more valuable wiring and pipes inside in order to sell or reuse. That is, if they weren't stolen to begin with.

But the other bathroom was in better shape, cleaning out the old tub to use, finding buckets to use to collect water. Its location was almost perfect, set near some woods where there was a stream running through. Though, if they couldn't get to the stream to refill, they would leave the buckets outside to collect rainwater instead.

Candace barely took notice of everyone sitting down together, eating the meager meals they collected.

The few things they bought were mostly cleaner clothes at thrift shops, very cheap hygiene products like soap and toothpaste. And when it _did_ come to having to buy food, it was mostly things to make what was given taste better, such as salt or something to act as a dipping sauce to give it _some_ flavor.

She watched everyone, feeling depressed at their ragged looks, her eyes landing on her poor brothers.

In all her years, while she wanted to bust the little menaces for their wild inventions, she honestly did love them. She didn't want them to get hurt and here they are, suffering and she couldn't do a damn thing about it!

"So you found a place?" Baljeet's voice broke through the teenager's thoughts.

She glanced in his direction, finding he was talking with her boyfriend, likely telling them about the apartment they found and what it held.

"That's great, so we might actually have a real place to stay then?" Phineas asked, looking at his sister with unwavering hope.

She knew it would die at some point, but she was willing to do everything in her power to keep that hope alive.

"If we work hard to save enough, then yeah."

"But what about papers though?" Isabella's voice spoke up, looking at the bread with a thin frown. "We have no birth certificates, no documents regarding who we are. What are we going to do?"

"The landlord isn't very smart it looks and doesn't keep things as they should. I doubt he'll bust us so long as we have money to pay rent," she joked dryly.

She reached her hand out to gently pat her arm, an open invitation if the girl wished to cry into her.

"And I'm sure we'll think of something if we did start facing certain problems," Jeremy added with a bitter smile. "If we can just scrape by as we are, but with a proper roof over our heads, then chances of us getting home are higher."

"I really hope so."

"Of course we'll get home; Ferb and I have been trying to think of what could've happened to land us here. We even visited the spot we woke up in a few times to look for clues," Phineas prattled excitedly, pulling a nut from his pocket to show as proof.

"Even if we did know how we got here, how could we get home? I don't think we can get away with the same shtick as before," the raven haired girl grumbled softly.

She didn't want to sound harsh, but part of her _was_ really losing hope, only keeping up appearances for the others.

However, when the redhead started going on again, sounding so optimistic, she turned, ready to scream at him, stopping at the look in his eyes. But it wasn't just the way he looked alone; it was the way he spoke, the very thing that brought a small smile back to her face.

She shouldn't lose hope nor force the redhead to lose it either because it's sitting in their laps right now, right next to them. Phineas Flynn _is_ their hope to get back home and he won't fail, she's sure of it.

"We always find a way, just like Candace said," the redhead grinned, his childish innocence penetrating everyone's depression. "We'll figure out how we got here, figure out how to get home, build it, then voila, we're home. We can go back to having fun like we used to, course we'll be _a_ _lot_ more careful."

At that part, he gave a nervous laugh, more to himself, likely revealing that he might be blaming himself for their misery.

Before he knew it, Ferb wrapped an arm around him, pulling him into a hug, leaning his head into his shoulder.

It was his silent way of telling him not to blame himself, telling him that it wasn't his fault and no one hated him for it.

From there, with renewed determination, they continued what they were doing, saving up as much as they could.

Eventually they found themselves able to pay the first month's rent, but knew it wasn't enough. There was still a lot more and needed to save more if they planned on staying longer than that.

Slowly summer was coming to a close, adding a spark of danger knowing when school starts; it'll get harder for them, and easier for cops to catch them.

It was so stupid they had to hide like this, but they had no choice, they couldn't risk getting separated.

If one of them gets caught, it's pretty much game over for all of them.

They wouldn't be able to get the captured out nor would they even think of abandoning them.

It was a thought they secretly feared as much as they didn't want too, as much as they didn't want to think about.

But seeing how bleak the situation looked, they kept up their resolve; they had faith in the creative brothers. So long as they don't lose that faith as well, Phineas especially, then they still have a chance to get home.

"Thank you," Phineas chirped happily towards the restaurant owner as he, Isabella, and his siblings walked away with a few bags of leftover food. "Thanks for taking us with you."

"No problem," Candace smiled softly glancing down at the small redhead, feeling his positivity radiating.

He looked so ragged, bags hanging under his eyes from lack of sleep, crying himself to sleep.

Sometimes he'd press himself into her or Ferb, the latter mostly to finally get any rest. Yet he still held some optimism that they'll get home very soon. She could only guess that his breakdowns weren't from losing hope, but the fear of what could happen before they get home.

She wondered just how innocent the naïve looking boy is, he's intelligent and has shown moments of maturity. Fact he knew how to weld at such a young age tells a lot, course Ferb shows it too, but he's different at the same time.

But Phineas, back home, he's always shown such a carefree nature, easily trusting and loving everything and everyone, or just about. There were a few he's shown dislike, be it a few gross foods even she would grimace at or enemies such as Mitch.

Yet, she always feared that his naivety would get him into trouble, possibly put him in danger. Fact he has his friends going along for the ride just adds to it. That was one of the reasons she originally wanted to bust them before it became a nasty habit she regrets ever getting.

But the boy is almost a teenager now himself, he'll have to grow up and mature if he ever wants to get taken seriously. The redhead just wished it wasn't like this he'd have to grow up against.

Pulling her eyes away, she now watched Ferb, seeing him silent as ever, albeit a tad clingier, not that she could blame him.

The green haired child though, he's always held an air of maturity far greater than his age shows wherever they are.

He barely says a few words and it's enough to diffuse an argument, people either shocked he spoke or how suave they were to move people.

Lately though, after all that's happened, she's starting to see the little boy he really is, not the young man he makes himself out to be.

She's no fool, hearing, sometimes feeling his tears whenever he'd cling to her in his sleep, Phineas clinging to her as well.

Both were scared, but showed their childish habits, knowing when they slept, they took turns snuggling with their pet. How they did it, she wasn't sure, nor did she really have motivation to ask how they trained him.

Her mind wandered to the teal pet, knowing that despite not doing much, he was devoted to her brothers. He just about followed them everywhere, somehow kept his poisonous claw from ever harming them, sleeps with them so peacefully. He even lets them get away dressing him up or using him as part of their activities, never complaining, simply makes his noise and continues that blank stare.

It almost made her wonder if he was smarter than he looked, knowing that _no_ animal would be that compliant.

At least not without some serious training and far as she knew, he was always like that since they brought him home.

Plus there were times he'd disappear for most of the day, rarely days, though when he did, it'd send the boys into fits.

She wouldn't admit it, at least before this, she wouldn't, but she honestly _did_ miss Perry and would very much love to snuggle him right now as much as the boys do.

She wouldn't be surprised when they get home, the three share a bed for a while as they readjust, Perry flopped on top of the pile.

"What are you thinking about?" Isabella asked, seeing the spacey look on the teenager, knowing she couldn't be thinking of Jeremy. The look was to sad, making her worry for her a bit, the others' attention grabbed as they glanced at their sister.

"Of all things, I was thinking of Perry," she chuckled as she saw looked at the boys, regretting her words as their smiles faded into frowns.

"I miss him," Phineas whispered as he stared at the battered sidewalk.

"I miss him too, but I'm sure he's fine, worrying where we are. And second we get back, he'll be all over you two, heck I wouldn't mind getting platypus slobber if I got caught in the crossfire," the teen laughed, seeing the corners of their mouths twitch.

"I thought you didn't like Perry?" Ferb asked, the small smile never leaving, hearing Phineas snickering at the thought of their sister covered in their pet's drool.

"I don't, but I don't _hate_ him either."

At this, they began talking, the boys sharing some stories about their precious pet, stories the teen didn't even know about.

It was a nice change of pace than worrying about their lives, focusing on something that made them smile and laugh.

It changed however the second they heard a choked sob call out towards them, the group turning to its source.

"Ph-Phineas! Ferb! Candace!"

When turning to the source, they saw the sorriest sight before them.

A young man, possibly not much older than the teenager, red eyes watering with tears as he stared at them. His skin was sickly pale, covered in mud and what looked like blood, hopefully not being the case.

His hair was a beautiful shared of teal, a very familiar shade to the group, seeing what looked like black streaks peppering the locks. But as with the rest of him, they were dirty, matted with fresh mud and what appeared to be more blood.

He wore what appeared to be ragged clothes, something one would see a patient at a hospital would wear.

The outfit was torn and ragged, as if he had climbed through a wire fence to get where he is now.

He carried what looked like a pillow case, it covered in mud, slung over shoulder, though dropped upon seeing them as he fell to his knees in shock.

All in all, he was a terrible mess; the most notable feature about him was the bandages on his arms. They went from his wrists all the way up to his elbows, covered in mud, signs he tried wiping them off, failing horribly.

"Who-who are you?" the redheaded boy stuttered with a bit of fear.

"It's me, Perry."

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	3. Chapter 3

When he first woke up here, he was in a large cage with dozens of other animals, most he didn't recognize, at least not from where he lives.

He stared, wondering how he ended up here, recalling how he was called to investigate an explosion at the D.E.I.

When he thought about it, it was strange as he had just beaten the mad scientist just before his owners woke up, and that was pretty much it for the day. The scientist would simply mope about the day, coming up with new plans later to try tomorrow, getting foiled by the O.W.C.A.'s top agent once more.

Now he was here, not able to recall how he got here, seeing dozens of animals huddled together, looking absolutely terrified.

He felt bad for them, wishing he could comfort them, but some lashed out with hisses and growls, instincts controlling them.

He sighed as he sat down; drawing his knees up, wondering what sort of diabolical plan is being made with him and the other animals here.

That was the last thing he thought before the room was engulfed in gas, knocking everything inside out.

After that, all he knew was excruciating pain.

Every time he woke up, he found himself lying on an operating table; different doctors hovered over his body.

The first time, they stripped him of his personal effects attached to him, feeling terrified as they injected him with syringes.

They were using him for some sort of experiment and the restraints were impossible to break. If he could break one limb free, then these guys would pay for what they were doing to him and for any other animal having to suffer.

But all that changed when he heard foreign chanting, realizing they were some sort of spells.

Before he could think or wonder what these people could be doing, he felt as if his entire body was on fire. He could feel his bones becoming different, unable to determine what it was, the pain overwhelming him, same with his skin, feet, everything.

Loud screams ripped out of his throat, a gag inserted not to quiet him, but prevent him from choking or biting his tongue. Afterwards they inserted some oxygen tubes to ensure that he kept breathing.

What were they doing to him?

Why were they doing this to him?

What purpose could they have torturing him?

These questions and thousands more ran through his head every time he woke up here, he was terrified beyond words.

He would be forced to endure grueling hours of pure agony, feeling bones snapping and reforming. Fur shedding painfully, sometimes taking chunks of skin by the burning and wet sensations. There were times he couldn't even feel his webbed feet, not sure if they might've fallen off or what.

One of the most painful experiences had to be when he was flipped onto his stomach and the most psychotic looking child came into view.

She was dressed in white, though did wear a surgeons coat, which was normal, _if_ this could be considered normal that is.

Her long white hair was tied back into a pair of tight buns, leaving her electric green eyes exposed, paralyzing the poor animal with fear.

If it wasn't for the fact he knew that this was a child and not a dwarfed adult, he would've thought nothing of it.

But this is a child and…oh god, what is she doing with that surgical knife?

He barely focused on her, unable to completely follow before pain exploded in his lower region, his tail precise. She was literally; ruthlessly sawing his tail off right down to the base, leaving nothing behind; not even a stump remained.

He couldn't stop shrieking as he was butchered alive, things done to him he didn't think were possible, things he didn't think anyone should be capable of.

Not even horror movies he's seen were like this!

He was left alone for a while after that, allowed to heal from that, those were the orders that monstrous child gave.

How could such a small being be filled with such evil?

But what had to be more terrifying about this child, was that very fact, she _is_ a child. He shuddered and cried, unable to take the image of his innocent owners becoming like this if given the chance.

No, they never would become like her, they were born innocent, it was obvious she never was innocent to begin with.

As much as he didn't want to cast such judgment, but this girl was pure evil, wanting her to die every time he saw her or even heard her voice.

He couldn't stop crying, even as his breathing became ragged as he lied on a cot in agony.

He wanted to sleep the pain away, but he was scared to do so, knowing the next time he wakes up, he'll be back on the table.

He didn't understand what they were doing to him, why they were doing this, but knew it wasn't for good reasons.

He stared at his bandaged arm, vision blurred between tears and lack of contacts, but mostly his tears.

He hugged himself as best he could, sobbing softly, trying to think of happy thoughts, praying that it was all a horrible dream.

He wanted to wake up in bed with his humans, know that he's safe, that they're safe; not caring if he blew his cover smothering them with hugs and kisses.

Hell, he didn't care if he woke up at his nemesis' place, having gotten captured and fell asleep out of boredom or been conked nicely on the head. He likely would be covering the man with hugs and kisses too, far to relieved to know that it was all simply a horrible nightmare.

Anything had to be…

A loud, painful crack occurred, snapping his eyes open, another scream, one as loud as what he let out when his tail had been hacked off, echoing the room.

This time however, his beak had shattered, a gaping hole in his face as he felt the tissue shifting and morphing.

It was pure agony, feeling as if he'll die from the pain, barely hearing the shouting, barely feeling injections pumped into him.

After that, he blacked out, later waking up, this time in his cell, his whole head hurting, trying to recall what happened.

When he did, without thinking, he lurched his head over the side of the cot, vomiting whatever had been forced into his stomach after the last procedure.

Eyes snapped open as he wondered why he isn't hurting in the broken orifice; he tentatively lifted a hand up, touching his face.

Patches were either covered in bandaging or…

_"__No…"_ he silently gasped, realization finally dawning on him of what these people were doing to him.

Yes, he's been losing fur, a lot of it, but he still had some rough, scabby patches around the head, but this time, it was extremely soft. But it wasn't just that, he felt his face more, finding features that were never there, having been covered by a beak.

Glancing nervously at his half bandaged arm, he found it was more human, albeit a little deformed.

He looked further at himself, a new wave of emotions crashing into him far worse than ever before.

Tears were soaking his face once more, rage filling his very being, and disgust tightened around his stomach.

They were turning him human!

He has no objections regarding the human species, having found them fascinating creatures compared to platypi. What he did object was that if he's human, he could never return to his family…

He thought briefly about the agency, what they might think of this if he ever got back, however he threw the thought away. Screw them, to an extent; _they_ were the cause for sending him on this hellish mission in the first place.

All he wanted was things to go back to the way they were, not this hellhole he's trapped in; enduring pain at such levels he never knew existed.

Burying his face into his hands, he let out a scream, anguish consuming him as he started thrashing in bed.

Unable to really move, he was in a sense, throwing a tantrum, the kind he's seen his boys throw when they were very little.

He couldn't escape if he tried, his legs were too deformed right now, having not finished whatever sick experiment he's in. Even if they weren't, he had no tools to break out of his cell or any idea how to get out of here and back home.

Could he even _risk_ going back home? They could follow him; threaten the boys, Candace, their parents, all in order to get him back. Or worse, kill them…

The thoughts alone made him scream louder, thrashing, kicking weakling, swinging his arms into the side of the cot or the wall.

He ignored the pain it caused; it was nothing after what he's been through.

In his frenzy, men came in, drugging him, putting him into a more docile state, having him continue sobbing in his sleep.

After that, whatever else was left in his humanization was completed, the pain more bearable, the biggest of changes having been completed.

When he could finally stand properly and walk correctly, he was given fresh clothes, almost like training clothes. He was told, no _ordered_ to change before left alone in the small, claustrophobic feeling room.

He stared at himself, finding no scars, not even where his tail used to be, bringing a new wave of tears to his eyes.

He hugged the linen to his naked frame, shivering from the cold, reluctantly dressing himself clumsily.

He only succeeded after having watched the boys dress for so many years, they were all boys, and different species, at the time that is.

They had no worries of being uncomfortable with one another, especially with a pet present, probably not caring if he had been a girl because he wasn't human.

Of course, Ferb showed himself to be a tad bit shyer, matching rather well with his quiet nature, but not Phineas, not his naïve little angel.

He could recall a time when the boy went to wake his sister and she apparently was in the middle of changing and chased him out.

He didn't understand, his mom having to explain that with girls, it's better to knock before barging in as he had.

A door slammed open, leaving him to stare nervously, bringing his arms up, half in self-defense, the other out of instinctive fear as he hugged himself, trembling.

He felt like such a pup, child, however one would look it, but he couldn't help it!

What was done to him was completely inhumane. And now that they were done, who knows what they were going to do to him.

"Let's go," the gruff looking man snapped, grabbing the scared agent's arm, dragging him out of the room and down a few hallways.

He tried to memorize them, but couldn't, not because he couldn't focus, but more when he looked out the windows.

He realized he wasn't in Danville, the location appearing surreal, as if they weren't even on Earth anymore.

He was positive, wanting to ask, but couldn't figure out how to use his new vocal cords, knowing they were there and now human.

But all he was getting so far were chatters and small, strangled noises when he struggled with basic words used every day.

He wanted to beg to go home, willing not to say anything; he just wanted his family now, unable to stop the tears once more.

Finding themselves in a new room, completely different from what he had been growing accustomed too, much to his discomfort.

There, a single man in the room, looking far more sympathetic than the cruel monsters he's dealt with before in the operating, no that torture chamber.

"Hello, Perry, I'm glad to see you've made a full recovery. Please, take a seat and we will begin," the young man greeted softly as he pointed to their destination.

There was a table, a box with what looked like toys or something, a stack of papers, couple chairs.

It felt like he was in a mental institution, recalling some of his favorite soaps.

Please don't tell him that his whole life was an entire illusion, that he's actually some mental patient.

He didn't think he could take that, not after all he's gone through, all the memories he's formed, good and bad alike.

Hesitantly, mostly out of fear of getting thrown by the gruff giant, peeking nervously behind him to see him leave.

Taking a seat, shaking out of fear and still adjusting to his new body, he waited for the man now taking over claim the other seat.

"I know you're scared, if you're hoping to gain comfort that it'll get better…" the man sighed as he glanced away briefly. "For now, it doesn't matter. I'm sure you have thousands of questions to ask, but if you want to ask them, you need to learn how to use your new body properly. So why don't we get started then?"

Like that, he was made to go through childish trials between using utensils, toilet training, walking and running properly. But the one he had to have found most useful had to be speaking, finally learning how to work his new mouth.

What felt like an eternity, he was finally able to talk; having no stutters or slip ups on pronunciations, learning fast that he's got quite a silver tongue. He swore he saw the man blush a few times when he'd recite a few lines from his favorite soaps.

He merely picked those lines because he remembered them best and felt they would work with testing out his new vocal cords. It was only later that he realized that a few of those chosen lines had some innuendos in them.

Having learned so much, now going through another set of tests, this time a bit more advanced to test his reaction time.

He felt now was a time to start asking questions, praying it won't backfire on him, especially with his man he hesitated to call a friend.

"Why me?" he asked, a simple sounding question, but it was so much more, praying that this doctor he's had as a teacher would answer.

"You had a large spike with your reiatsu, your spirit energy if you will."

"I still don't get it…" he muttered softly, almost slipping back to his chatters.

"I'm afraid that you were picked to join a military group. But in your previous form, you would not have lasted long, enduring blasts and explosions from both sides."

"But you know everything about me…"

"Exactly, we knew all of your limitations, and what this militia does, you would not have lasted a single fight. You needed a far stronger body, given a human looking body, but at the same time, it isn't completely human."

"Isn't completely human?" the other unintentionally parroted, staring wide eyed at the other.

"You will find you will take hits that would normally be fatal, killing someone upon impact, though they will be absolutely painful. The muscles in your body are stronger, meaning you'll be able to deliver punches strong enough to shatter concrete, and if you harness control over your reiatsu, you'll be able to shatter stronger materials. It is the same for when it comes to speed as you run, your reflexes sharper than ever. If you hadn't noticed, even your sight had been corrected so you have no need for contacts. And again, all these senses and reactions could be enhanced far greater when you begin training your reiatsu properly…"

"I didn't ask for this though…"

"I know, most here never ask for this, usually taken away at night, never to see loved ones again. And the times they do, it is the last time."

"What do you mean?"

"You're lucky you'll never get to see them again," the doctor sighed softly, earning a chill from the other.

"What do you mean? What happened to my family?" Perry just about shouted, standing up, slamming his hands on the table.

He was about to answer before the door opened, revealing that same child, sending the once platypus into a frenzy.

This time however, she wasn't dressed to perform surgery, but in a white blouse and skirt, black shoes tapping lightly as she walked in.

Her white hair, instead of a bun hung in a loose ponytail over a shoulder, concealing her right eye, held together by a ribbon.

Now dressed in what appeared to be casual clothes, he felt sick, realizing she truly was a child, he hadn't been hallucinating in that room. She had to be at least five years old, yet the look in her visible eye said otherwise.

"Stay away from me!" he screamed with desperation.

Without thinking, he grabbed the chair, throwing it at the small girl, watching as she easily side stepped, almost teleporting by how fast she moved.

The furniture hit the floor, shattering, even leaving small cracks in the floor, leaving him to stare in shock of how much stronger he's become.

In his awe, he almost missed the psychotic child talking, though when he did, he found she wasn't talking to him directly.

"_Tsk_…_tsk_…Manäo-_kun_, I thought I told you, that you aren't to disclose such _delicate_ information without my permission?" the child taunted as she walked further inside, hands tucked behind her back.

"He deserves to know," the man growled as he refused to look the child in the eye, gritting his teeth. "He deserves to know what you did you sick monster!" he shouted before a small gasp was heard, a knife having been shot straight between the eyes.

"Oh dear, you should be lucky that isn't fatal. But when I'm done with you, you'll wish it was," the child taunted as she snapped her fingers.

Strange, monstrous creatures floated into the room, gathering the twitching doctor, passing the frozen agent.

He couldn't believe what he saw; literally he couldn't see when she pulled that knife out or when it was thrown.

It happened so fast, and seeing how calm she acted, he shook harder, realizing he couldn't beat her if he tried.

It didn't matter if he was a platypus or always had been human, or any creature for that matter.

This child, this _thing_ was on a whole other level, one he didn't even know existed until now.

Worse, there could be, no, he was positive that were others just like her in this horrendous place. He was positive that they were all just as deadly as, maybe deadlier than her, capable of doing far worse to him than what she's done.

He felt lightheaded, seeing her grin evilly, unsure why as his vision began darkening, realizing in his own sheer terror, he was fainting.

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	4. Chapter 4

It felt like an eternity passed, having been thrown back into his somewhat new, but still very smelly cell.

He felt completely numb; he finally learned what that doctor meant, learning it from the devil child, Anax.

"They're gone…they're all gone…" he whispered, falling to his knees, unable to form tears, eyes wide as he stared at the dirty floor.

Bombs were built, his world chosen for destruction to test these bombs and their properties as was the second dimension he had visited.

The difference though?

No one from that realm had been claimed, the creator of these bombs, the very same child he's grown to hate having complained about it. Namely how his parallel self was weak compared to him, that despite their tough exterior in that world, their spiritual energy, their reiatsu, was laughable.

Therefore, they were marked as being more useful for these _dimensional_ bombs as he's heard them called.

He barely understood any of it, and he didn't want too, he just wanted to wake up from this nightmare.

But as days passed, forced to endure grueling trials, forced to work his body to do what he could before.

Despite the tremendous change, minus the tail and venomous claw, his skills were perfect, unsure if he should be grateful or angry.

He wanted to refuse, finding no reason to live, but they threatened lives, wishing he had listened the first time they threatened.

He couldn't get the images out of his head, watching as they willfully shot at least five people before submitting to their demands and trained, and trained, and trained.

He felt horrible, but what drew the line was hearing they were going to make him kill, he couldn't do it. Especially when hearing that these monsters really were as such, not misguided people looking for justice, they were pure evil.

He stopped eating; staring into space, knees drawn up, chin resting on top, continuously wishing it was all a horrible dream.

At first he was left alone, but when it came up to the fourth, maybe fifth day, he wasn't sure, they forced food into him.

"Hey, you're new here?" a voice spoke up, barely registering it as he continued staring into space.

He had been transferred to a new location, with other prisoners such as himself, those who have yet to fully break.

He could hear shouting from people begging to be set free or just kill them now, clearly defying, refusing to cooperate.

They were all in different languages, at first unable to understand, but at some point had been force fed some pills.

After that, he began to understand all the foreign languages being spoken, forcing a new wave of tears from his eyes.

Doofenshmirtz would've made something like this, out of frustration of there being so many languages to learn and needing to hire translators.

Even his owners would've made something like this too, but not out of spite, but sheer curiosity, possibly even share it with others.

"Oh god, Phineas…Ferb…I'm so sorry," he sobbed, his throat sore from his earlier screaming and crying.

"Who are they?" the voice asked again, starting to wonder if he was going insane.

"What does it matter?" he muttered, willing to accept madness for company than complete loneliness. "They're gone, Anax…she…she murdered them. All of them, our entire universe, dimension, however the fuck you look at it or call it, they're all gone."

"Are you positive?"

"Yes I'm fucking positive!" he shouted, taking notice that he wasn't hearing things, that someone was _actually_ talking to him.

"You never know, they could still be alive. Those bombs are new, Anax may be a genius, but even _she_ has flaws. I doubt the bombs could've destroyed everything on their first usage. Trying to make a bomb that rips the fabric of time and space, literally making something that is capable of making others cease to exist. A bomb that destroys a realm in such a manner where not even the gods can fix it…"

"_That's_ what she was making?"

"Yes…"

"But I've heard they've been using them more and more."

"I know, but what I presume to be your first arrival, she hadn't. Meaning whatever she used as her first tests, they didn't do as she hoped. She had to go back and find out what she did wrong in order to perfect them."

"Even if they weren't, there's no way a couple of kids could survive that sort of destruction. I don't care how smart they are, they're just kids…"

"Maybe not on their own, these people, obviously they would have enemies for the evil they wrought onto us and millions others."

"Yeah, so?"

"Maybe heroes came just in time and saved them? I've heard it's happened before, hearing soldiers who fight willingly here cursing the enemy's leader."

"Even if they're alive still, I can never go back to them."

"How so?"

"I used to look like a platypus, a cute little platypus they adopted when we were all practically babies. I don't look remotely like my old self other than hair and eyes, but that wouldn't be enough to have them recognize me, I'm sure of it."

"What about memories? So long as you carry memories, they'll recognize you."

"Doesn't matter, not only did I have humans, where I lived, I was an agent. Even if my humans were gone, but my boss wasn't, I couldn't return to him. Doesn't matter if he found something for me to do, I'm so fucked up in the head now."

"Aren't we all?"

"Fuck you."

"Look, I know the hell you're going through, but at least you have the chance to carry hope that they're alive."

"How so?"

"I watched my pups murdered before me…"

"What?"

"I…I used to be a jackal, back where I lived. I wasn't anything special. I wasn't an agent like you had been. I had no actual house to live in with humans caring for me. I lived in the wild, in a den with others of my kind. I was carrying, had five pups inside me when I finally gave birth here."

"Oh god…I'm so sorry…I…"

"It's fine; at least you have a chance to continue hoping. When I was able to understand, becoming like this, my poor pups scared and confused of why their mama looked different from them… Anax, that horrible, horrible human child, she told me I was to work for her, that I _belonged_ to her, to her mother."

"What did you do?"

"I was still mostly animal, mentally at least, and I did what any animal would. I attacked, I aimed to tear her throat out, but I stopped when I heard gun shots. Two of my pups had holes in their head, so I went to protect the rest, only to get pinned and forced to watch as they were stomped and beaten to death."

Perry held a hand to his mouth, feeling sick as he listened, a cold sweat breaking out all over him.

"I was one of the first experimented on, so I'm not perfect in looking entirely human, but I'm close enough. Those twisted bastards got what they wanted out of me by finishing my _transformation_ alone."

Hearing that, he hesitantly got up, pushing the bile back down his throat as he walked to the edge of the cell.

He was careful not to touch the bars, they were electrically charged, a method to keep people in. Although, he doubted it was electricity alone for all after the creatures he's seen now, knowing such a current wouldn't faze some.

Glancing around, he saw a tail carefully sweeping through the bars, almost beckoning him. Following the tail, he spotted a woman leaning against the wall, arms crossed over her bandaged chest.

Her top was tied around her waist, revealing a well-toned figure, albeit a little thinner, likely having starved herself as often as he had done.

She had a deep almond skin laced with bruises and some bandages from injuries, unsure if they were self-inflicted or not.

Her hair was long, hanging loose over her, almost shadowing her face if she didn't push the strands back.

Her face was pretty, though it too was covered with bruises and such from the abuse she's had to endure. What caught his attention were the gold, animalistic eyes staring straight into him as his red ones stared back.

They were close, but not close enough to hold hands, not even touch her tail, but close enough to see the canine ears on her head, tail swishing away still.

"Shame that you don't have your tail anymore. It would've looked cute on you like this," she joked dryly, clearly sympathizing with the loss, knowing she could've lost hers at any moment as well.

"Shut up…" he grumbled, wishing he could lean against the bars, not wanting to lose sight of her just yet. "But why would they take me though? They know everything about me, my fears, my likes, dislikes, my strengths and weaknesses. Why would they take me and try to make me fight for them knowing I wouldn't ever submit?"

"Who knows, they're sick freaks," she sighed as she slumped to the floor, knees drawn up, tail wrapping around her.

Mimicking her, minus tail, the two of them sat in silence, simply staring at one another, seemingly content with that for now.

Eventually it broke when she stared at the once platypus, "I go by the name, Nerea by the way."

"Name you had before coming here?"

"Yeah, probably the only thing I have left of my old life next to my tail and ears."

"I'm Perry…"

"Name given to you by your owners?"

"Yeah, though when they first adopted me, they were going to name me Bartholomew first. But I think we can all agree that Perry's a _much_ cooler name," he joked softly, recalling their first meeting.

"What makes them so special aside from taking care of you? I've seen others who had homes like you, but they never carried as much love as you do for them."

"They're both beautiful in their own way. Phineas, he's a shining star, always bright, optimistic, creative and funny. Ferb, he's mostly silent, but he gets his point across from simple actions or a few choice words whenever he did speak. Both are inventors, always building something from roller coasters to submarines."

"And these are boys?"

"Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but they're talented, they could've changed an entire world when given the chance. And in some ways, they have done so. They certainly changed mine the moment I entered their lives."

Feeling tears prickling his eyes, he let them freely fall, a bitter smile on his face as he recalled all the adventures they had, even if they weren't directly together.

One of the greatest had to be when they were in the second dimension, fighting his nemesis' parallel-self side by side for once.

It was one of the most dangerous missions he's ever had, yet also the most fun he's ever gotten with his humans. Now those photos are gone, his locket gone, his fedora gone, everything was gone.

"I don't want to be here," he sobbed softly, resting his face into his knees, hugging them tighter. "I don't want to kill anyone, innocent people especially. I rather die than do something so horrible."

"They won't let you die that easily though," another voice spoke up, a haunting laugh echoing, making the platypus shiver.

"Fuck off, he wasn't talking to you!" Nerea snarled, already on her feet, glaring at whoever was talking.

It sounded like that person was right next to him, meaning he had a neighbor he couldn't see, only hear.

"He better get used to it unless he wants to become someone's fuck toy," the voice laughed louder, sounding almost insane.

"I said fuck off!"

"What does he mean?"

Seeing the almost childlike innocence, the jackal gave him a sad look, realizing just how young he must be.

"For those who are deemed weak for fighting, medicine, anything, they're usually shipped off to brothels."

"How do you know this?"

"I've heard it from countless soldiers, prisoners who were captured and sent there briefly before sent here when finding they had immense strength in some manner. It's a horror show from what I've heard."

"Not only do they rape men and women there, but children as well," the laughing man added, getting yelled at by Nera once more.

"Oh god, please don't let my boys be there, don't let them be there," Perry wailed louder, his tears dry, but the sound continued.

"They aren't there, if what you said is true, that they're smart; they would've found a way to escape."

"I doubt it, kids are stupid, Anax is just a fucked up freak of nature," the laughing man chortled, sounding more serious.

"Fuck is wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong, just decided I know what to do and giving advice to the crybaby next door. And sweetheart, if I were you, take mine too."

Neither knew what he meant before Nerea's eyes widened, letting out a terrified howl loud enough to draw attention.

Perry stared in horror as soldiers came in, the jackal screaming in terror, covering her eyes in absolute fear.

He heard the cell next door being opened up followed by some cursing, ready to look before Nerea shouted at him not too.

That's when it clicked; the guy next door committed suicide, right in front of _her_, with _him_ next door. It had to have been something that would've worked fast when hearing the soldiers making rude remarks about the mess.

After that, he felt mostly numb, horrified as days, weeks passed by, hearing that several more ended their lives.

Cells that were once empty were quickly filled again with new victims, confused and scared as everyone else here was.

Those that didn't die were taken away, some still struggling, but wearing bands, Nerea confirming they were being brought to the brothels.

Others that were grabbed with different bands, but still struggled, he got no answer, the jackal silent.

It was enough to confirm that those people were going to be executed or used in horrendous experiments, likely testing new poisons and such.

But what made his heart sink was watching those who finally broke, completely giving up and now wearing uniforms.

They lost what made them willful, believing whatever lies given that this was the right choice, the _only_ choice to make.

He didn't know whether to call it Stockholm or cowardice when seeing once scared faces filled with malice and insanity.

He didn't want to end up like those, but even he had to admit, he wasn't going to last much longer.

They were trying to drive information out of him, force him to train new recruits his fighting style and observation skills.

He refused, always refused even when they gunned down people in front of him, he continued to refuse.

It made him sick that he was willing to have people die just to protect the secrets of the agency, but knew it was more than that.

He couldn't let these monsters win, but was it right to have people die like that?

He felt his mind beginning to slip, wondering when the time will come and he'll stop thinking about his boys.

When will he forget their voices, their smiles, their eyes, the color of their hair?

He doesn't want to forget, but the longer he stayed here, the more he felt lost, knowing whether they were alive or not, he won't be able to return to them.

So long as he's here, what made him their pet; made him the top agent to protect innocent people will be dead soon.

He had to find a way out of here, even if it…

Perry shuddered, thinking about what the laughing man must've done, knowing how horrified Nerea had been at the sight.

But he couldn't stand another second here, not while there's still a chance he could slip away and become the very thing he hates.

Looking around, he had to find something that would help him, recalling the dirty mirror he's used to shave a few times, monitoring him before taking the stuff when he was done.

He briefly wondered why they'd even let them keep those aside from the obvious, as if they didn't think no one would try.

Knowing the noise it'll make, he smashed his fist as hard as he could into it, shattering it into hundreds of pieces.

"Perry?" Nerea called out, alarmed by the sharp noise. "Perry!"

He ignored her, knowing if he talked, even responded, he'll break down again, taking a handful of the pieces with him, gripping them as tightly as he could.

Sitting on the cot, he stared at them, seeing his reflection on the bloodied shards, his face showing a broken man, not a proud agent.

He had to end this while he was still himself!

Ripping his shirt off, not caring about the mess, he stared at his arm, dragging a piece across the flesh.

He bit back a cry, tears leaking out from the pain as he finished, watching the blood trickle down in heavy rivers.

"Perry please, talk to me! Don't do this!"

Murmurs could be heard, other prisoners hearing, some quiet, mournful of what must be happening, others ignoring the event.

"Don't throw your life away goddammit!"

Slicing his other arm, he stared at the wall in front of him, tears blurring his vision, arms aching from what he's done.

"I'm sorry Nerea," he finally answered, his voice sounding so broken and soft. "I can't take it, I don't want to end up like them. I don't want to lose who I am. If I'm going to die, I'd rather die while I'm me, not a monster."

He let his head drop down, staring at the bleeding limbs, knowing if he didn't bleed out fast enough, he'll be found and saved.

He'll get a beating, possibly shipped off to one of those brothels if deemed weak, forced to endure hours of more agony and humiliation to top it off.

"You're not a monster, you could never become one!" Nerea sobbed, ignoring the electricity as she gripped the bars. "You have your boys to think about! Think about them, what would they say if they saw you like this? Saw you giving up when you could be back with them?"

"I don't even know if they're alive…no I'm positive that they're gone. That guy was right, they _are_ kids. It doesn't matter how smart they are with their inventions, they're still kids. They died, completely oblivious to their surroundings, not realizing what was happening until it was too late. They died never knowing who I really was, never getting to grow up and _really_ live life to its fullest."

"What about others? You said you had a nemesis, what if he's alive? You two had a mutual friendship; he had limits to his so called evilness. What would he say?"

"Who the fuck cares, he's like a bigger kid most of the time!"

"Then what about everyone here?"

* * *

><p><strong><em>Please read and review.<em>**


	5. Chapter 5

He half expected her to say something more along the lines for herself, wanting to get up and ask her again, but he was starting to become lightheaded.

"What…what do you mean?" he asked, unsure if he should really know.

"Out of all of us, you have actual skills. You're the only one here who's had any real training before coming here, before being tortured. Use them!"

"How?"

"I don't know you're the secret agent here!" she half screamed, having since released her hold on the bars.

They were burnt badly, knowing she'll need treatment as much as she hates the very thought of it. For now, she ignored the pain; focusing solely on the only person she dared to consider as a friend.

"We've all heard the stories of the Shadow Queen, of her Alchemy Knight fighting these people. If you can get out of here, you can save all of us. She might even know where your boys are, your nemesis, boss, friends, everyone you love. If they're alive, you can finally go back to them, and if not…if not at least you get some closure."

"What am I doing?" he whispered, letting her words penetrate his brain, realization dawning on him.

He _could_ get out of here; he just never bothered to even think about trying. He was too focused on his own terrors and moping to think clearly.

He couldn't believe how selfish he was acting, knowing that this wasn't who he is, what he trained to become.

He may not have his boys, may never have them again, but he could never look them in the eye if they did meet again.

He wouldn't be able to live, exist as a spirit even if he took such a cowardly way out as he is.

No, he couldn't leave Nerea behind, all these people and who knows how many others trapped within these walls either.

His head clearing up, knowing he had time before he lost to much blood, knowing he must look so pale.

Sure, he's heard about others who've tried escaping, a few being right where he and Nerea have been living for so long now.

When asked, he learned that one of them was a man, having once been a duck, bearing a thick accent having made an escape attempt. From what he heard, the former duck had apparently seduced one of the passing guards to steal the keys safely.

Perry didn't want to think how long that must've had to go on, not wanting to imagine that poor man basically selling his body in order to try and escape. More so as it had failed when he did make his move, hardly getting far, never heard from again.

He had to think fast before he lost too much blood and lost complete consciousness, the gears whirling away in his head.

"That's it," he whispered, formulating a plan that he's putting into action right now, praying to whatever god or gods out there will let it work.

Forcing his legs to work, he got up, fishing through the broken shards clumsily in the sink, collecting a number of them.

Pleased with the amount and their sizes, he grabbed up the torn shreds of his shirt, wrapping them up into a tight bundle.

Gulping slightly, he ran them under water, silently grateful that when he smashed the mirror, he injured himself. The blood would help hide the timeframe when the water goes on; at least that's what he's hoping.

When feeling the bundle was nice and wet, squeezing it just a little to remove excess water, he shakily pulled his bloodied pants down.

Ignoring how embarrassing it was, he spread himself, pushing the bundle, mindful of how much force. He didn't need a shard poking out, or worse, the whole thing somehow unraveling, carving him up inside.

He panted, a strange sense of pleasure mixing with the pain, shaking his head as he finished inserting it.

Just deep enough so no one sees them, but not enough where he wouldn't be able to grab it when ready, he just hoped they aren't found beforehand.

It was unorthodox, a dangerous method even, but he was running out of options fast, time ticking away faster and faster with every drop of blood.

Managing to ignore how weird it felt with something inside, he pulled his pants back up, praying no one finds the concealed glass.

"Nerea…I'm sorry, I don't want to die anymore. So please, scream for help, please, I'm begging you," Perry begged, feeling himself slump against the wall.

He was so tired, feeling his vision growing heavy, echoes of Nerea screaming his name growing distant every passing second.

Unsure when he passed out, he found himself awake, the light sounds of dripping, spotting an IV bag set up next to his bed.

Recalling what he did, what his plan of action was now that he landed here successfully than left to rot, he rose into a sitting position.

He stared down at the bandages, flinching at how raw they felt, knowing he must've been out for a few days.

Not daring himself into peeking at the damage he caused, he focused on the removal of the IVs, ready to jump out of the bed.

He was mildly surprised that he wasn't hooked up to a heart monitor, then again, with how these people worked; they likely stabilized him where it wasn't necessary.

Instead, they just left him in here to rest and would later fetch him once he regained enough strength and do who knows what to him.

He stopped moving though when feeling something brushing inside him, recalling what he did prior to blacking out.

"They didn't find it," he whispered softly to himself, mixed emotions running through him that his half-baked plan might _actually_ be working.

Chewing his bottom lip a little, he glanced around, making sure that no one was watching that there _really_ weren't any cameras, his training assisting him once more.

Once assured he was in the clear, he forced himself up long enough to once more let his pants slide off his hips.

With trembling, weak hands, he repeated the process of stretching himself with one hand, fingers reaching inside.

Not once did he stop blushing, nor did he stop glancing around, struggling to stay alert and not fall into the strange pleasantness the action brought.

He had to be _absolutely_ careful, one small slip up and he'll be in a sense carving his name on the inside, and he did enough of that already with his arms.

He felt what little color he had drain when feeling that a piece of the mirror had somehow gotten free, starting to fall out of its cocoon.

Before he could react, with one hand, he yanked the rest out, clenching his fist around it to prevent more escaping, abandoning the piece briefly.

He stretched himself again, using as much strength as he could to do the job as he worked getting the rogue piece out of him.

The entire time he was wishing he had thought it more through when doing this in back in his cell. Then again, he _did_ lose a lot of blood, so he wasn't thinking as clearly as he should have when coming up with this.

Relieved getting it out finally, he barely suppressed a yelp when he accidentally cut himself on his inner thigh.

He glanced down at the damage, finding it was shallow, but stung just as horribly as when he had been cutting his arms.

Although, he'd much rather have that than inside his rectum any day, knowing he could easily die bleeding out or from an infection. But he was even more grateful that the piece that escaped was small, so chances of hurting himself were very minimal thanks to his efforts.

Part of him still couldn't believe he actually did that and it actually worked, guess it showed how desperate he is and how much these people under estimated him.

It was risky, but he scanned the room, finding some trays and drawers, opening them as carefully as he could without making much noise.

But before doing any of that, out of instinct even back as an animal, he thoroughly washed his hands. It was mostly to remove some of the blood that stuck even under his chewed nails when glancing at them.

Never did he think he would become such a vicious nail biter…

Shaking his head, he focused on the main task, searching for what he may and would need before the next move. Medical supplies were needed, not just for his arms and thigh, but any future injuries as well.

Getting what he needed, taking a pillow case from the bed, careful not to go crazy in his scavenging. He didn't want too much to carry that could slow him down, or make it hard for him to hide if he had duck into a tight space.

Sure, he didn't need the broken mirror shards as much anymore, but he kept them regardless as a precaution, he could slam a few or all into someone's face if cornered.

It would also protect what he collected from tweezers to a couple of simple knifes and scissors, mostly for the stitches.

Stepping into the halls, he felt a tremor of fear, bare feet padding softly on the stone floor, a much different feel from previous footwear.

This was it, he knew the halls were like a maze; he had to tread carefully, pick ones with many doors he has a chance to duck into to hide if he heard voices.

He needed to keep quiet, even using some bottles he found to conceal his scent, especially his blood.

He had to get out of here and find the rumored heroes, the Shadow Queen and her Alchemy Knight, supposedly the two most powerful or most influential.

He had to find them, not just for his sake, but for Nerea and every other poor soul trapped here, both figuratively and literally.

After testing a few doors, one made him regret opening it, cursing how air tight it is to block out the horrid smells inside to warn him beforehand.

This particular room was filled with rotting corpses, likely dropped off to be picked up later for proper disposal.

So many were in pieces, knowing many were failed experiments, others being hostages based on the injuries he could see.

It made him sick to his stomach, forcing the bile down, knowing making such a mess was not in his best interest.

This could easily have been him amongst that pile if he had succeeded ending his life, something that still nagged and taunted in the back of his mind.

Shutting the door, trying to stay focused, he still felt the voice taunting him to finish the job right now than delay it.

The agent had to ignore that awful voice, knowing it'll be his downfall if he considered those words again. He may consider it _after_ he's out of here, has found the heroes and he considers his mission complete.

Searching several more rooms, finding some were empty or if occupied, the user was heavily sedated so was fast asleep or to drugged up to really notice.

However, against his better judgment, one room kept him occupied for several hours he was sure.

This particular room held dozens of file cabinets, in turn held _written_ files than computerized for his red eyes to wander over.

He could only assume these were kept as backups, knowing the agency did the same in case of emergencies.

As he searched, regretfully having to use a couple of the lesser surgical tools to pick the lock carefully, ruining them when seeing how scuffed up they were.

Searching through, he eventually found files from his world, starting with his very own, eyes beginning to water.

Blinking them back, not wanting to start breaking down again he saw photos of his old life, reading his own history.

He even resisted the urge to rip those photos out and them with him, knowing if he did and someone found out, it'd reveal his escape. If it hadn't been found out already that is, though doubted it based on minimal activity going on.

He was just grateful that there weren't cameras hiding in the halls and rooms, figuring that they likely rely more on this reiatsu he's heard about.

If things had been the same still, he would've scoffed at their beliefs using the supernatural, but he doesn't anymore, having seen it himself in action.

He just prayed that he doesn't get found out on through his own spiritual energy, that concealing his scent alone is enough.

Putting his file away, he decided to see what else was there, finding other names he recognized from town or his work.

Most were small in regards of usefulness, anger and relief they didn't find his boys useful. He didn't think he could live with himself if they were here somewhere, forced to turn their inventions into something evil. Twisting those innocent children into monsters he feared becoming, fears he may still become.

However, when finding one from his agency, he felt his jaw drop at who else had been taken, horror filling his very being.

"Oh god, they got you too," he gasped, reading the files.

He felt tears prickling his eyes as he read the _"completed"_ experiment's fate, learning that like him, he fought and refused to submit and hurt innocent lives.

Even then, he did show promise, but was also rather weak, his body having difficulty adjusting to his new strength, or lack of.

Therefore, he had been shipped off to a brothel, and judging by how beautiful he now looked as a human, he was sadly going to be popular.

"Oh Peter…"

Reading through more files, morbid curiosity of whom else went through the torture, he nearly broke down completely.

He felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach when finding his old nemesis' files, vision blurring with tears he struggled to restrain.

He felt like throwing up as he read the man was used for experiments as well, though what it was, it was mostly blacked out, clearly revealing its importance.

The only thing he could guess on the cruelty done to him were the photos taken of his once enemy, practically friend.

There were files on his life, what he did, but it didn't matter based on the current files, showing the man with a defeated look.

It wasn't stated if what was done to him had been completed or not, but did reveal enough that it was important, far more than what was done to him.

But the look in those blue eyes, the hope for escape, to do evil was washed away, breaking the agent's heart into thousands of pieces.

He felt his hand clenching, nearly ripping the files apart, his blood boiling to such levels, the suicidal thoughts long gone.

He was going to make these monsters pay for what they did to Heinz, what they've done to Peter, to everyone he cares about!

Once he calmed down and managing to return the files to where they belonged, he slipped out of the room, going down another hallway.

He cursed that he didn't have a notepad and pen to write what he found down, having found nothing of the sort in his room or the others in his search.

But he has an excellent memory, even if he doesn't remember every little detail, he would remember enough, namely those haunting pictures.

With renewed determination, he sought his escape, knowing he had to escape more than ever if he wished to save anyone.

Just as he was about to make another corner in the endless halls, he let out a silent gasp when hearing footsteps.

Managing to find a door, remembering checking it only minutes ago, finding it was a storage closet. So he ducked inside, pressing himself against the wall, his bag sitting next to his feet as close to the wall as it'd allow.

He was using everything he learned to keep his location unknown, readying a piece of glass to fight with. He ignored the stinging sensation as it began to cut into his flesh, hopefully not drawing blood just yet.

He could feel the blood pounding in his head, his heart pounding loudly in his chest, making him feel faint, but his resolve stayed, keeping focused.

"They haven't searched this section yet. If you want to get out, follow these directions and use the transporter to go anywhere you think you'll feel safe. But I _highly_ suggest this area," a slightly high voice belonging to a young man explained.

When hearing that voice, he could feel the honest emotion in them, reminding him of the doctor who taught him how to talk and use his new body.

The difference between the two was mostly accents.

The doctor had an American accent, possibly southern though very light than deep and drawling. This one on the other hand, his accent was foreign, Asian if he recalls from some agents who came from other countries to work for them.

Footsteps echoed once more, leaving the former platypus to nearly tear the door open, wanting to see who it was.

Just as he stumbled into the hall, he only caught a glimpse of short red hair, figure small and very thin from the clothes he wore.

Perry could see that his hands were buried deep into his pockets, watching in silence as the mystery man turned a corner.

He barely caught a glimpse of his misery filled gold and red eyes, the rest of his face kept neutral and unfeeling.

"Thank you," he whispered softly, not sure if he heard him or not.

But something inside him told him that the other may know his undying gratitude regardless if he heard it or not.

Seeing that look on his face, while most would think he was heartless, the agent knew it was the opposite. He was a broken man, his will just about withered away to nothing, yet something kept him going than surrendering completely.

All he could think of was that he might have loved ones, having them used as blackmail to keep him here, keep him from escaping or even ending his life.

Taking a hesitant step, he heard something crinkle, looking down when moving his foot, finding a piece of paper.

Picking it up, he felt his blood run cold when seeing the coppery liquid scrawled across, giving directions and coordinates. He had to be careful not to rub his fingers across the lightly damp sheet, afraid to smear the text.

The redhead injured himself in order to write this, though as for what he used, he wasn't sure and honestly didn't want to think about it right now.

Careful in his steps, he found the room where the transporters were held, the sight reminding him of his boys.

"This _would_ be something they'd build," he joked dryly with himself, "or have built already."

They were different from what Heinz and the boys built, knowing the three would never have remembered, at least not without some device to draw them out.

Glancing at the machines, he searched for a keypad, finding it off to one side of the room, working fast. He was sure a place like this has cameras, unsure if they were being monitored or not right now.

He began punching in numbers, matching them to what was written, praying that he wasn't being duped.

Not like he could turn back now, either trust his gut that the redhead wanted to help him or risk capture and possible death.

Soon as he hit the final button as the instructions gave, he felt the machine come to life, his body wrapped in electrical pulses and lights.

He felt his body being broken down and apart, his entire being going numb, his vision blacking out momentarily.

Second he snapped his eyes opened, he was on the cold hard earth, dry heaving on the ground, spit and some stomach acid pouring out as he tried to calm himself.

Glancing to his side, he found the note given to him, only it was smeared in mud from the wet ground, the sheet beyond saving. Giving a sigh, he grabbed the pillow case, grateful for getting what was inside.

He wasn't sure why, but knew if he was going to find these heroes, he needs to get himself help first. But where could he go without making himself sound insane?

He could try a homeless shelter since he has no money, no social security, nothing but his memories. However, whatever world he's in, they may not believe him, not knowing the kind of danger they could possibly be in.

Just as he became lost in his thoughts, he snapped his head up, hearing voices, very _familiar_ voices, making his tired eyes widen.

Following the source, he found them, his body frozen in place, tears forming as he watched them, completely unaware of his presence.

Could it…can they really…

It had to be true…the redhead knew, he somehow knew that they were alive and gave him a chance to return to them.

The redhead, he was some sort of angel sent to help him; he just had to be, to give him such a blessed chance.

"Ph-Phineas! Ferb! Candace!" he sobbed towards their retreating backs.

He was praying that they'll recognize him, take him back, love him the way they always did before this hell broke loose.

He couldn't help but cry harder when seeing how miserable and dirty they looked, Phineas especially despite looking more confused than miserable. But he knew his boy well, he could read him perfectly, possibly better than the boy could read himself.

He looked at the very boy he loved so dearly, wanting to protect him from just about anything that came their way, willing to kill to protect him.

He looked so lost and broken; it tore him apart seeing the child like this. All he wanted to do now was take that pain away any way he can.

"Who-who are you?"

"It's me, Perry."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Please read and review.<em>**


	6. Chapter 6

"P-P-Perry?" Phineas gasped, making the other stare at him with hope.

However, the boy instant began delivering such a hateful glare, it felt like a dagger in the teal haired man's heart.

"You can't be him! He's a platypus!"

"It _is_ me; just ask me anything only the Perry you know would know. Please!" he begged, falling to his knees, tears soaking his filthy face.

Somehow, the boy felt it was Perry; the color of the hair matched the fur of his precious pet perfectly. Even the eyes matched his beloved pet, seeing the terrified look, remembering when he first brought the little guy home.

"What happened…what happened when we brought you home? And who was living at the household at the time? And what kind of collar was given?"

"You're not seriously believing him?" Isabella questioned, ready to pull her friend away from what looked like a madman.

She felt Ferb grab her shoulders, stopping her from pulling the boy away as he took a few steps forward.

"It was at a shelter. You, Ferb, Candace, and your parents, Lawrence and Linda, all of you were there looking for a new pet. You picked me out of all the puppies and kittens, even lizards that were there," he sobbed softly, sniffling as he struggled to control himself, wiping at his face.

"Oh my god," Candace gasped as she listened.

"You were originally going to name me Bartholomew before changing it to Perry when bringing me home. The collar, it was a gold locket in the shape of a webbed foot. It opened up into three sections, each having a photo of myself, Ferb, and you inside when we were little. See? I remember it all, please believe me."

The redhead's eyes widened, not believing what he heard as he found himself running into others arms, sobbing into his chest.

"Oh god…Perry! It is you, I thought you were dead! I thought I'd never see you ever again."

"I thought so too, I thought you were all killed," the teal haired man sobbed, rubbing the boy's back gently.

Feeling a second pair of arms cling to him, finding it was Ferb, he pulled him into his arms, letting the British boy finally let go and cry.

"I can't believe it…what happened to you?" the teenager asked, feeling warm tears flow down her face.

She knew that it had to be their pet, he remembered things no one else could have known, knowing they were the only ones in that building aside the clerk.

But it wasn't that alone, the look in his eyes, the way Ferb quickly let down his wall, openly crying into his arms. It just had to be Perry, only he and Phineas could get the green haired boy to let his guard down so easily.

"You don't want to know…" the teal haired man whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

He gave the boys one last hug before the three pulled apart, doing what he could to help wipe their faces clean along with his own face.

"Let's get you back and cleaned up. Phineas? Ferb? Think you two could show him the way?" she asked, knowing her brothers were in good hands.

"Sure thing, Candace," the youngest answered, giving her a smile, a real smile, not realizing he had been hiding his pain.

It was something that lifted everyone's spirits; all due to the platypus turned human's return. Just his appearance alone gave them hope that they just might find more familiar faces, reuniting with loved ones.

Handing the bags they had to the boys, she knew what they had; it wouldn't be enough with another joining the picture. She would have to use a little bit of money she had to buy some actual food, real food judging his scrawny appearance.

But it wasn't that alone that made her willing to spend more, she saw the bandages, seeing they were beginning to bleed through.

Part of her felt that the bag he had might carry some supplies, but wouldn't feel right not getting a few things in case she was wrong.

Who knows what other injuries he has, what he must've had to endure before finding them?

With the boys, the three were chatting a bit, or more two were, Phineas occasionally breaking out into another sobbing fit.

Despite the pain in his arms, the agent picked the small boy up, carrying him on his hip, letting him sob into his shirt, clinging to the fabric with all his might.

The boy felt so tiny in his arms, yet so safe at the same time, allowing him to settle as he still clung to the filthy shirt.

While he wanted to hold Ferb's hand, with all the bags they were carrying, it was impossible, but the child stayed close regardless. He was always an understanding boy, having taken the bags his brother carried with his own.

"Phineas, who's that?" Jeremy questioned when the three arrived, the teal haired man looking around questionably, appearing worried.

"You're not going to believe it, but it's Perry! I don't know how he looks like this, but it's him! We're sure of it, even Candace is sure!" the redhead chirped so happily, a large grin plastered on his face as he was set down.

He snuggled into the man, arms wrapped around the waist, feeling so content with having his pet turned human back in his life.

"Are you sure?" the blonde asked, hoping the boys aren't being duped, that the redhead hadn't finally cracked.

"Phineas questioned him when we had doubt and his answer was more than enough," Ferb explained his voice cracking slightly as he tried to hold it together.

"But _how_ did you turn human? And what happened to you?" the blonde questioned softly.

He didn't doubt what the boys said, somehow having this gut feeling that this man wasn't faking them. This guy wasn't trying to play them, wasn't insane despite how ragged he looked, how broken he looked.

Realizing how the other shifted, decided now wasn't the time to start pestering him, not with the boys around, Phineas especially.

"We should get you cleaned up and into something cleaner until we can get some proper clothes on you. And…I don't know much about medicine, but we should see how bad your arms are."

"My arms are fine, they hurt a little…but they should be fine. I rather wait until the others get back if you're that desperate to check on my arms. Being a Fireside girl, I presume Isabella would have the most knowledge when it comes to medicine."

"Yeah, that's true; she did a pretty good job patching us up when we took a hard tumble. Just a shame that we don't remember what happened or how we got here, or where we are even," Phineas piped up softly.

"You mean, this isn't Danville?"

"No, I'm afraid not. And we don't know where Mom and Dad are. Do you know, Perry?" he spoke looking up at the other with hopeful eyes.

"I…" the teal haired man began, unsure how to answer.

However, the blonde sensed his uneasiness, shooing the boys away, telling them to get enough water set up for a proper bath.

He even sent them off to find some clothes they stored, hoping they'll fit him long enough until they get something proper.

"Thanks," Perry sighed with some relief.

"You know something don't you?"

From the few times he's gotten to see Jeremy, either a quick glance while on a mission, or when he visited their home, he knew him enough to know how he ticked.

Despite how laid back and relaxed he looked most of the time, he was rather alert, making some of his escapes sometimes difficult if he was present.

He could only assume he was like that because he had a little sister, but unlike Candace who let her brothers' antics drive her nuts, he lets his sister be. Because of it, he doesn't get to see how much of a hellion Suzy is when others try to tell him about her antics and whatnot.

However, unlike all those times before, this was a first for the former platypus saw the blonde look so serious.

It didn't matter how ragged the teenager looked, bags hanging under his eyes, clothes loose on his frame, probably having lost some weight.

"You may not believe it, but I was kidnapped for an experiment that led to me looking like this…"

From there, he explained as much as he could remember, as much as he knew from what he heard and been told.

He could see the boy's eyes widen in horror of what he heard, starting to regret in telling him, traumatizing him possibly.

"Oh god, so you're saying that…that Danville might be gone forever? Everyone but us…they could be dead?"

Tears were forming in the blonde's eyes, thinking of his little sister, his parents, everyone he cared about.

"No…Suzy, she can't be dead. She just can't be."

Leaning his head down into his knees, he began sobbing, his fists buried into his dirty hair struggling not to start howling.

He felt arms wrap around him, pulling his face up to look the broken being's eyes, he cried harder as did he, leaning into one another.

The teenager could feel soothing circles on his back, reminding him of his mom when she'd comfort him from a bad dream or a scrape on the knee.

"We don't know; she might've gotten lucky like you guys and is safe with others from Danville. We just have to find this Shadow Queen or even her Alchemy Knight so we can finally get some answers. Whoever, whatever they are, they should help us. It's their job apparently."

"You're right, she has to be alive. I just know it, she's a tough cookie. Suzy's alive as are my parents. I mean, look at us, we're alive somehow. Even you managed to survive, so others had to have as well."

"That's the spirit," the platypus smiled softly.

He could feel his heart swell, wishing he could thank Nerea for snapping him out of his selfish misery. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have gained the courage to even start his escape. Then there was the redheaded angel who gave him a map made from his blood, leading him here.

"You know, strange thing is, while I despise what was done to me, it's already turning into my favor."

"What do you mean?"

"I can actually help take care of you guys, act as your legal guardian than forced into hiding nonstop."

"That's one good thing," the blonde laughed before seeing a mop of red hair, grabbing the other's attention.

"We got the water set, so a bath's ready, but it might be a little cold, no electricity or proper plumbing," Phineas explained with a sheepish grin.

From what they could tell, he obviously didn't hear the conversation, having arrived just after the two older boys pulled away from the hug.

Both have calmed themselves enough, the older of the two having tear streaks still, but he had them already, so they went unnoticed.

As for the younger male, he had already dried his eyes enough to avoid questions right away from the boys.

"Thanks, Phineas," the platypus thanked as he was guided to the filled tub.

He slowly stripped, unsure how the boy may react to the various cuts on his body, but glad the boy had turned to give him some privacy, same with Ferb.

The only one who didn't was Jeremy, the blonde helping him when he nearly stumbled, wincing slightly when spreading his legs somewhat to escape the pants.

He didn't think he's feel this sore, then again, how often does someone stick something up their ass?

Once stripped completely save for the bandages on his arms, he was helped into the tub, shuddering at the cold water.

Slowly, he eased into it as he adjusted, gasping softly when the cut on his thigh stung followed by a sharp twinge from his still tender rectum.

He let himself sit in the water, shivering at the coldness, but he knew he had to deal with it, Phineas and the others apparently had to for a while now.

Just as he began to start washing himself, he felt a pair of small arms wrap around him from behind, hot tears dripping onto his shoulder.

He knew exactly who it was, turning his head slightly to see the mop of red hair, making him smile softly.

"You don't have to cry anymore. Just as you protected me when I was little… I'm going to do a better job protecting you from now on. I won't let you out of my sight _ever_ again; I'm not going to lose you, Ferb, Candace, or anyone we care about. I'll keep all of you safe from now on."

"What do you mean?" the redhead looked up at his humanized pet, puzzled over what he meant.

"There's a lot more to me than you thought. It'll help explain so much of the days, nights even where I'd disappear and reappear almost magically," the teal haired man sighed, using one arm to hug the boy, nuzzling his face into the hair.

"You can tell me, I won't be mad. If you were doing good things, then why should I be mad?" the redhead practically chirped.

Feeling tears forming in his eyes once more, he looked down into the water, watching his reflection.

"I did do good deeds; I was a secret agent stationed to protect the people of Danville among a few other animals. When I was on duty, I was known as Agent P, though most knew my actual name, but they never knew where I lived. That's why I had to keep it a secret though. I couldn't bear the thought of endangering you and the others. I couldn't risk being ripped away from your lives if you found out somehow."

"Perry…"

He knew he risked a lot telling the redhead this much, with others in the room to hear him, but looking into those blue eyes, he couldn't take it anymore.

What the monsters tried to do, trying to extract information from him, this sweet child succeeded. It was like a floodgate finally opened and couldn't be closed, even when he tore his eyes away from the others.

Before he knew it, he began telling the redhead everything, all the missions he did, even telling him about how the second dimension. He didn't think it should be kept from him, explaining why no one but him remembered that event with the same reason he never told the boys in the first place.

As he explained everything, he felt the redhead clean his back, listening to his every word. Whenever he paused, it was to make a happy remark or start laughing at any humorous incidents that happened. The funniest the boy had to like was the dress incident and that Candace's dress was technically his pet's.

Perry couldn't help but smile as he started to wash himself, finding it somewhat odd, but comforting being washed like this.

Sure, Phineas _really_ shouldn't be doing this, he wasn't a pet anymore, but old habits die hard and he wasn't about to let it die right away.

He needed to feel like things are okay, that maybe, just maybe this is all a horrible dream and he'll wake up in bed with his boys.

But he knew it wasn't a dream, the dull throb in his arms reminded him as did the feel of his skin he touched or feeling Phineas' hands on his back.

The former platypus knew telling the boys everything was a risk, but also knew there was no point hiding it anymore. The agency is likely no more, so there's no worry of being relocated, being reassigned to another family.

Even if there _was_ some chance Monogram, Carl, anyone from the agency still existed, hadn't been captured and tortured, they would understand why he broke.

The only thing that did worry the teal haired youth was what Monogram or any of the others may do with him if they did reunite.

Would they let him retire in peace?

Would they wipe his memory or trust him not to spill anymore secrets?

Mentally shaking his head, he decided it was best not to dwell on it; it wasn't his top priority right now. He had much bigger things to worry about, and two of them were in this very room with him.

He thought back to the documents he read, thinking about Peter and Heinz, shuddering what hell they must be enduring still.

He was torn between praying they were safe to praying they were dead, not out of spite or jealously, but mercy.

Neither of them deserved being tormented like this, as he had been tormented so horrendously and for so long.

He shook his head again, not wanting to think about that as much as it pained him, he had to focus on the boys.

They were his priority right now next to finding the heroes, but his family was more important, he needed to ensure they were safe. He needed them more than ever for his sake as much as their own.

Eventually, he deemed himself clean enough, accepting a towel to wrap around his waist, shivering at the cold when another towel was handed to dry himself off.

When handed clothes, he asked for the pillow first, revealing its contents to the boys, Jeremy amazed by what was inside.

However, he and the younger boys gave the other privacy to tend to any small cuts he had, namely the one on his thigh. Once he was done, he began dressing, alerting them he was done save for a shirt that sat next to him.

The blonde had made it clear they needed to change the bandages, more so after the bath and seeing how red they looked, likely from over exerting himself.

Perry though was nervous, eyes darting towards the boys, knowing how they'd react, the redhead especially.

Understanding, he ushered them away much to Phineas' displeasure, Ferb understanding better, dragging his sibling off.

"Thanks," he whispered when the blonde grimaced at the stitched arms.

"So you really did try to kill yourself…"

"I was scared, weak, angry even after all I went through."

"Don't blame yourself, Perry. I probably would've done the same thing if I was in your shoes," the blonde comforted.

He used some creams and rubbing alcohol to clean the wounds, careful not to pull any stitches, apologizing when hearing the other whimper.

Once they were cleaned better and wrapped up, careful that they weren't too tight, especially when he moved his arms around, Perry finally threw the shirt on.

Afterwards, it was now a waiting game, eventually seeing the others showing up, the agent surprised that all of Phineas and Ferb's closest friends survived.

"So what are we going to do now? It's going to be harder to save up money with Perry here, no offense dude," Buford asked as they sat in a circle, money pulled out that they earned and have been saving.

They could see that the money they were saving, having gotten so close to their goal had now dwindled more than they wished.

"We're going to need a real place to stay sooner or later. We simply can't live on the streets, we're too large a group to even try and you kids would get caught once school starts," Perry sighed as he pondered over it.

"But what can we do though?" Baljeet whimpered, feeling the former platypus gently pet his head, comforting him a little.

"Just by my appearance and my voice even, I'm clearly the oldest, I'm positive I'm past the eighteen mark. If I can just get my hands on a computer, I can hack into the system and make some fake documents for all of us. I can make it where I'm the legal guardian over all of you."

"But isn't doing that illegal?" the Indian boy asked timidly.

"Yeah, but we really have no choice right now," Perry sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair, starting to feel better from earlier.

He felt completely worn down, but figured that it was simply his adrenaline starting to crash on him.

"I think I have a possible plan, but I'll need to learn more about where we are before I act on it. I'm still pretty weak and it won't help us much if I move to soon and end up collapsing right off the bat."

"I guess so, just don't do anything stupid, okay?" Candace begged, not wanting to lose him, not just for Phineas' sake, but hers as well.

"I won't, I promise," he reassured, giving the girl a hug before they got things ready for dinner.

After eating, they decided rest was needed, the teal haired youth practically praising with joy at the idea.

They all huddled together, using dirty and torn clothes beyond saving as pillows and ratty blankets.

For warmth, they used each other, keeping close to one another, though they did it not just for warmth alone, but ensure that when they woke up, they're still together.

Perry lied on the ground, using his filthy clothes as a pillow, feeling Phineas and Ferb on either side, clinging to his sides.

He could even feel Isabella curled up near them, her body occasionally shivering, whether it was fear or cold, he wasn't sure before drifting off to sleep.

Not far from them was Candace and Jeremy, the two sleeping close together, the girl resting her head on her boyfriend's chest.

The other two boys were also close by, wanting to stay near where it felt warmest, but surprisingly enough clung more to each other than the others.

The older members of the group only assumed that since arriving here, the bully had no reason to harass the timid genius. Instead, he wanted to keep him close for his own sake as much as the other's, clearly showing how young they really are.

At this point, they have given up that one of these days they wake up, it turns out to be a nightmare.

All they focused on is keeping together, using each other as a means of staying sane, knowing what they had was real and not some fantasy.

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><p><strong><em>Please read and review.<em>**


	7. Chapter 7

As days passed by, Perry was shown the same café they used to do their own research on the world they've entered.

From there, he began his research, thankful he apparently looked good enough for female workers to leave him alone. If anything, they were ogling him, which made him slightly uncomfortable, silently wondering if Jeremy had the same problem.

Once he gathered all he needed, he began his plans on how to make the documents, keeping the others out of it.

It wasn't so much he didn't trust them, but if he did somehow mess up, he didn't want his work coming back at them, putting them in unnecessary danger.

The only thing that did attract him was the news regarding a group known as diclonii, though he didn't pay enough attention to them.

All he knew was that people hated them, and because of them, they employment apparently began to plummet due to lack of workers to hire.

He couldn't help but wonder if he should be silently thanking them or not if he manages to land a job fast.

After a week and a half passed, Perry was quite pleased with the end result of his hard work. He finally made all the necessary documents, thankful for all that training helping him speed up the process.

During his efforts, the kids did what they could to earn more money, waiting for when he was done.

The second he was, he began his search for a job, knowing that to open a bank account, he'll need one as much as a home. Although for the latter, he could always make wiggle room with that if need be for everything to work out in the end.

The money that they did earn so far would be deposited a little at a time, wanting to avoid any unwanted attention.

"Wish me luck," he joked dryly, more to the teenagers, knowing he could end up coming back unsuccessful.

"Don't worry if we have to, we can try to get a super cheap cell phone if they won't hire you without contact information. You know the saying, gotta spend some to earn some," Candace reassured, hugging the man she could now call her brother.

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Can't remember exactly, but I'm pretty sure it was in some TV show I watched with Stacy some time ago…" she answered, her smile fading a bit.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she's fine," he comforted, hugging her tighter.

"Thanks, Perry."

"No problem," he smiled when they pulled away, "as for the phone thing, I rather have that as a last resort."

With that, he left, taking a couple granola bars with him as breakfast, wanting to get as early a start as possible.

He checked himself carefully while he ate, extra careful no crumbs were left to make him messy.

Despite the intense heat, he wore brown slacks and a long sleeved white shirt, a light teal jacket over to give him a more mature look. He could only imagine himself probably looking better if he still had his fedora, though doubted it'd fit him at this point in his new form.

He was glad he got himself a wallet, a rather cheap and flimsy looking thing he found in a dollar store as he did with his shaving supplies.

He doubted that having a bit of five o'clock shadow would harm his chances, but knew if it went on to long, it'd get harder with a full beard.

He kept a wallet, a cheap thing he found at a dollar store, using it to hold a few bills and plenty of loose change.

Who knows if he needed to get his clothes cleaned fast or had to take a bus to get where he wanted? Then there's the fact of getting a newspaper or buying something at the café to look up classifieds online.

However, he hated wearing the shirt though, especially with the jacket, but with his arms still under the bandages, he couldn't risk questions.

He had to keep the sleeves rolled down no matter what, until they healed and there are no signs remaining.

He walked down the sidewalks, taking a few breaks, thankful for some outdoor fountains to drink from when necessary.

He held a newspaper under one arm, a small notepad tucked in his pocket, occasionally taken out to read addresses of local stores he wrote down when at the café.

"What the hell?" he grumbled, staring at one building, getting a very bad vibe from it due to its decrepit appearance.

Shuddering, he went in, knowing he had to get a job regardless, praying it won't be anything degrading.

Minutes later, he practically went running out, face flushed, cursing his bad luck that the employer was a damn pervert.

He made a mental note to make sure that if Jeremy and Candace do look for actual jobs, **NOT** to let them come here.

This went on for most of the day, dealing with some employers leering at him too much for his own comfort. If it wasn't that, they'd practically throw him out because he doesn't have phone or internet to contact him.

The bluenette was growing quiet sour, resisting the urge to waste money on something stupid to calm down.

Eventually, he found a few that were interested, almost understanding when he admitted he didn't have phone or internet.

Whether they trusted him by his appearance alone or they simply pitied him, the man didn't care when handed some applications to fill out at his leisure.

Now all he had to do was check up on them when asking if he could meet with them, or coming straight back to get word.

Now feeling better, he decided to head on back to the building he jokingly calls home as did the others from how long they've stayed now.

In the duration he worked finding a job, the others didn't stop in their efforts, knowing they needed the money regardless.

They have many mouths to feed, bodies to dress, and when school starts, they'll need a real home and working phone.

Candace sighed as she focused on her latest job, walking dogs again, but it didn't bother her, watching Jeremy and Buford ahead of her with dogs of their own.

While things seemed to be going their way, she knew things were still going to be rough, especially regarding her brothers, Phineas especially.

She began to worry that he might, if he hasn't already, become mentally unstable the longer they stayed here, unable to do the things he loved during summer.

The poor boy was stressed beyond words, evident by the bags under his eyes, though have lessened since Perry's arrival. But it wasn't enough, if they didn't find a way home soon, or getting a place to stay so her brother could vent freely, he might lose it.

She dared not think what would happen if he snapped at the wrong person, namely an outsider of their group.

He could start ranting and raving about his past inventions, the fun and games he had with his brother and friends. It could very well land him into an institution, possibly sending everyone else away if not the same place if deemed unstable as well.

_"__No!"_ she berated herself in her thoughts.

She couldn't let such thoughts plague her, she had to try and stay positive, especially now that they have Perry.

He made documents, actual documents to make it easier for them to live here than simply hiding. All they had to do to finish the job is to get themselves a place to live, even if it's temporary.

She'll keep pushing herself as hard as possible, knowing full well that Perry's doing the same. Even Jeremy's pushing himself, hopeful he'll find his sister, his family as much as she wants to find her parents.

Thinking on the younger kids, despite their demeanor, they too haven't given up completely, if anything, their hope grew ever since the humanized platypus arrived.

It was that hope that'll also help her keep going and going until they finally get where they absolutely need and want to be…

"Anyone home?" the agent called out as he entered the abandoned building, careful that no one saw him.

Looking around, he was glad to find nothing was touched other than what was taken as small portions for each to get something to eat or drink.

"Here," Candace spoke as she and the other two walked in. "Made about seventy dollars walking dogs and mowing lawns."

"Pretty good, hope the others get back soon, starting to get dark out," the teal haired man sighed as he looked outside, seeing the sky starting to turn twilight.

"Hey you guys," Isabella squealed happily as she ran in, the boys right at her heels, all looking pleased. "We made some extra money doing some pet sitting."

"Really?"

"It wasn't anything huge. It was mostly people wanting someone to look after their dog or cat that needed medicine almost hourly while they were out for lunch or work," Phineas added, showing the money they earned. "I hope the animals get better though, they looked sad having to take medicine like that."

"I'm sure they will," the agent reassured, pulling the boy into him.

"How did you do?" Ferb asked, seeing how relaxed the bluenette looked.

"So-so on the job hunt," he chuckled, one arm still looped around the redhead. "I found a few that were interested and didn't mind I lacked a phone and email. They're close enough by where I can hop the bus or walk there if I start early."

"If we need to, depending how much you earn, we could get you a bike, it'd save money in the long run," Baljeet suggested as he and the others set their bags down.

"I was thinking that too if it became a hassle walking or the bus got too expensive. That and possibilities with winter, though I might just stick with cabs and buses when the weather starts getting bad."

Pooling the money together, they counted it out, surprised how much they earned by working together as well as they did.

"I can't believe how much we've earned now. We should be just about ready to start renting," Candace nearly cried, the others looking relieved as well.

"That's great, I'd say we should celebrate, but that would ruin all our hard work," Perry joked, earning himself a playful shove from the teenager.

Shoving back with a grin of his own when seeing her smiling, he decided to get a bit more serious.

"Speaking of the apartment, how much _would_ we have left over after we get it and start paying the official rent?"

At that, the teenagers explained to him everything they learned, including how it was fully furnished and had electricity and heating set up.

All they would have to pay for as extra aside from the rent, phone and possibly internet, are any security deposits if they get a pet or got cable.

"We've even been checking on the place weekly to make sure that it hadn't been taken or sudden changes made," Jeremy added with a sheepish grin. "We've had enough money for a while, but we wanted to ensure we could keep up with the rent, so been saving longer just in case."

"Pretty risky, but good thinking."

"Thanks, but that was Candace's idea," the blonde smiled as he hugged his girlfriend, having her blush a bit.

"Really?" Perry questioned, getting a nod from her, clearly embarrassed, "That's still good thinking, better safe than sorry."

"Hey Perry, mind if we ask you something?" the teenager asked somewhat nervously as she rubbed her arm.

"What is it?"

"When you were job hunting, did anyone give you weird looks?"

"Weird looks? Now that you mention it, I did a few times on the street, but they most shook it off."

"There's something about the hair color. Seems those with exotic looking hair are not treated with full respect, at least not right away," Ferb explained with slight bitterness from his past experiences.

"Could it have to do with this diclonii group?" Perry muttered softly as he tried to think it over, giving the boy a concerned look.

"That's what I'm thinking too, but people only started to really treat Ferb better when a chef ruffled his hair. After that, he began giving more scraps to us when we pass the restaurant," Candace added, remember the event as did others.

"Maybe no one's bothered me because my hair doesn't look like a fluff ball?" the agent wondered, getting a glare from the boy. "What, it's true."

Immediately, Phineas began laughing, getting a look from his sibling, "He's right you know."

"Like you're any better," Ferb remarked with a smirk, starting to snicker when seeing the fake frown on the shorter boy.

"But you know, I know it's rough living like this, but I'm glad," the redheaded boy suddenly spoke. "If this world wasn't so weird and messed up, we might've been caught long before Perry found us. We would've been taken away from each other, even if we screamed and begged not to be separated."

"You're right," Isabella agreed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And now that we have Perry with us, helping us with his secret agent skills, we get to stay together longer."

"Yup, and before long, we'll find a way back home," the boy grinned, not seeing the small frowns forming on older males' faces.

Thankfully, it had also been missed by the others, even Ferb, being as he's one of the most observant people in the room next to Candace.

"Oh man, I can't wait to see everyone when we get back. I'm _so_ never taking my bed for granted again."

Soon as the redhead added that, others couldn't help but start laughing, agreeing with him on that statement.

"I wonder how Linda and Lawrence will react when they see me?" the teal haired man chuckled, knowing even if their world is gone; the parents may still be alive. But he was surprised to get a glare from the three siblings. "What?"

"Call them Mom and Dad, you're still a part of the family," the redheaded boy scolded, the other staring in shock.

"But…"

"You've always been part of the family, but you're no longer our pet, but our brother. I'm sure Mom and Dad would adopt you in a heartbeat once we return," Ferb added with a small smile.

"They're right, it wouldn't be fair to throw you out of our lives, not after this, not after the good memories we've shared before this happened. You _are_ our big brother now," Candace added with a gentle smile.

Tears prickling his eyes, he gave them an honest smile, grateful to have such a wonderful family.

"Thank you, that means everything to me."

"Alright, before we turn into some sappy soap opera, how about we start eating?" Buford half joked, the others laughing save for Perry.

"What's wrong with soap operas?"

That made the others burst out laughing louder, the other realizing what he just said, wishing he could hide his red face.

"Alright, alright we _really_ should eat," Jeremy spoke up between laughs, wanting to somewhat help save the other from further embarrassment.

He honestly hadn't laughed like this in a long time, not since he and the others arrived here, and it felt good doing it again.

The others agreed when some had their stomachs growl, having them divide what they got between minimal shopping and handouts.

They were feeling overjoyed, not only from the bit of happy conversations they made, mostly with Perry sharing stories of his days as an agent.

It seemed to relax the kids or make them burst out laughing if he decided to share a particularly amusing tale with everyone.

When they were done, they cleaned themselves off as best as possible before settling into their makeshift beds, huddled together as usual.

Normally when they slept, Perry dealt with nightmares from when he had been a hostage, to being experimented on. Sometimes he got them where he was found, watching his family slaughtered before him.

When those came, he'd wake up screaming, scaring the kids, sobbing into them with relief they were okay.

He knew it worried them, that whatever he went through had to have been horrendous, knowing only Jeremy knew. He wasn't sure if Candace knew yet, and if she did, she was excellent actress hiding that fact.

Yet for once, he didn't get assaulted by nightmares, his good mood overpowering his bad memories. He could feel his boys, his _brothers_ hugging him tightly in their sleep, smiles plastered on their faces.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Please read and review.<em>**


	8. Chapter 8

For the next couple days afterwards they got the money they needed, Perry managing to actually land a job, starting right away.

By a stroke of luck, not only was it within walking distance from the building, but the apartment as well when shown its location.

And to make it an even sweeter deal, this particular job was simple, meaning he could change around from driving around town to filing paperwork.

It was boring compared to his secret agent life, but it was necessary and strangely relaxing as he worked.

He was just thankful there weren't uniforms to wear, he would've worried if they had short sleeved shirts. He still had to wear the bandages, but the layers were getting lighter as the stiches held together well and the skin healed.

Soon enough, he'll have them removed, either by his own hands or if he feels Jeremy could handle it, leave the task to him.

After a week of working, getting his first paycheck, he nearly started bouncing in his step as he decided it was time to open a bank account.

He had been coming up with strategies to do so, knowing whether the landlord was some drug using sleazebag, paying in all cash wouldn't be wise.

He managed to accomplish the job, relieved that all that planning and prepping paid off, adding his name as well as Jeremy and Candace's names for the account.

Done, he surprised them with cards of their own, explaining what he did and why he had them added than leaving him with sole access.

The teenagers were in awe at the trust, grateful for it, willing to do their best not to disappoint that trust.

For the next few days, they deposited their hard earned money, praying they didn't move to fast to raise alarms.

By the time the next week rolled in, another check given and cashed, they made their move on the apartment.

Walking inside the office, Perry and the teenagers were unable to suppress a cough from the smoke. They could see the supposed landlord coming from the back, a stupid smile on his face.

"Good morning," he greeted, showing surprising sobriety, but knew he was still rather high by the way he swayed.

"Hello," the teal haired agent greeted back, "why don't you two wait outside?"

He could see that the smoke was getting to them, the pair unsure about leaving him alone, but the look assured them he'd be fine, so they went outside.

"Your kids?"

"Two of them," he answered flatly as he took a seat. "We just moved to town and we're rather tight on money, but saw your unit available and within our funds. Is it still available by any chance?"

"Ah yeah, it is," the other answered, fumbling for paperwork, looking overly eager to finally rent the place. "Do you need a tour of it?"

"I looked online and it meets our needs," Perry spoke as the two exchanged more words, learning more about the apartment.

After a few hours, papers were signed and the two shook hands, having made it official as keys were handed.

"Almost forgot, do you mind if I make a couple copies of these? My family's in different age groups. I don't want them locked out if I'm at work and others aren't home yet when school starts."

"How many copies do you plan on making?"

"At least two, maybe three max."

"Keep it to two."

"Alright then, thank you."

With that, he gave a farewell and left, spotting the teenagers sitting at the curb, eagerly awaiting his return.

"So?" Jeremy questioned, looking ready to start bouncing in excitement.

"We got it," Perry grinned, holding the keys up, the two hugging him tightly.

"That's great!" Candace yipped as they went back to gather everyone and get moved in pronto.

Second they got in; they started exploring their new place, finding that if it had simply been Perry and his family, it would've worked out, albeit a tad cramped. But with others staying here too, it'll be more cramped, so they had to work out how to put the available space to their advantage.

First thing they did was decide which of them gets what rooms, the first thing made clear being that the girls would share a room together. The remaining kids ended up having to share a room as well, Jeremy and Perry sharing the remainder.

Afterwards, they started prepping things, replacing the beds with bunk beds, frame wise at least.

They managed to skip buying extra mattresses and box springs for a few, saving them a few dollars. The beds that didn't have them got t hem from the ones already here, having taken measurements ahead of time to make sure it'd work out.

As for the other rooms in their new home, it consisted of one bathroom, a galley kitchen, an outdoor patio, and obviously a living room.

The bathroom when looked inside rather roomy inside, finding not only a tub with sliding doors, but a washer and dryer stacked onto one another.

The kitchen, while eating in there was out of the question, it had decent enough features and enough room to work when needed.

The only thing that was a bit frustrating was the oven not being self-cleaning as well as a lack of a dishwasher. Meaning they had to watch what they cooked to avoid heavy cleaning, mostly anything that might be greasy. Even the refrigerator was a bit smaller than they would have liked, but they agreed that they'd make do.

The living room itself was more reasonable in size where if push came to shove, they could always set a bed up.

It had a couch set against the wall, an empty shelf with a few books left behind from the previous owners, and an older television set in a corner.

Near one side of the room were glass doors leading to the outdoor patio that overlooked the town.

When they explored it, they found that a grill had been left behind too including a metal trash bin that held an older bag of charcoal.

Least it meant they could cook outdoors if they couldn't use the oven for any number of reasons. All they would have to do is plan it right based on the weather to avoid freezing unnecessarily or having their potential meals soaked in rainwater.

What might've been the best regarding their new place being that they were on the second floor of the building. They had no worries of being bothered by neighbors stomping above, but did have to be mindful of the ones below them.

Then again, while they hadn't fully introduced themselves with their apparent neighbors, they gave enough of a vibe of not caring.

They seemed to be out most of the night whenever Perry came home late, and the kids made mention how they're home all day long.

Therefore, chances of them bothering one another are slim, slimmer when school started, just about everyone out most of the day.

When they settling in, Perry got to work getting connected with the phone company, getting it set up and activated. As a bonus, they were allowed to pick a phone from the choices, the bluenette picking the one with an answering machine.

From there, while it risked dipping into the money a bit more, he decided to play it safe and get cell phones, having found a perfect payment plan after much research.

Just as he surprised the teens with their own cards, he surprised everyone with the devices, admitting they were the cheapest he could get his hands on. But he explained everything else to them and the importance of why he did it, the others thanking him profusely for it.

They wouldn't have gotten this far without Perry's new job and the older teens managing to land a couple of part time jobs. Therefore, the money spent was made back relatively fast with their combined paychecks and mindful spending.

It was barely a week before school starts, the humanized platypus having made arrangements for getting the kids into school, including the teenagers.

The pair tried to argue that he didn't have too, that they could in a sense drop out to try helping more. However, he told them that their education is far too important to let it go to waste, especially since they wouldn't have money for college.

Reluctantly, they agreed, understanding his concern, Jeremy mostly, leaving Candace to notice that the two had gotten much closer.

She knew it wasn't anything to worry about, if they had a relationship going on suddenly, they would've said something, not keep her in the dark about it. She knew them both well, her boyfriend especially, so knew whatever made them so close, it was much deeper than some secret relationship going on.

Something inside her told her it had to do with Perry's arms, having seen them exposed, grateful the kids weren't around. The sight might traumatize them for life, and judging the injuries, she had a bad feeling about it.

"Hey Perry, could I ask you something?" she started, the two folding clothes and getting beds made.

"What is it?" he replied, getting the sheets onto the bed while the other got pillows back together.

_"__Now or never,"_ she muttered in her head, the two having the apartment to themselves for a couple of hours.

The kids, now freed from having to work for survival were shooed off to go play, while Jeremy had gotten a day off. So, to help enjoy himself, and possibly get out of doing chores, offered to watch them to ensure they were safe.

"I want to know what happened to your arms. I've seen the stitches, and the way they're angled," she stated, seeing the other freezing up, shoulders stiff. "Perry, did…did you try to kill yourself?"

"Yes…" he answered after a pause, taken back by the question, but wasn't entirely surprised it'd come up at some point.

"Why?"

"I thought you, the boys, everyone were dead. I was weak. I was scared. I was angry and so much more at what had been done to me."

He knew this conversation would happen at some point if she didn't know, unsure why Jeremy hadn't told her. It wasn't like he begged him to keep it between them solely, only keep it from the kids because of their ages.

"Just what the hell happened to you? There are nights you wake up screaming, and now finding out you tried to commit suicide…" Candace half shouted, trying to keep herself from exploding.

She could see the other's shoulders trembling, knowing he must be close to crying if he hadn't already started.

"I don't mean to be pushy, but I'm worried about you. I don't want to lose you, none of us do."

"I know," the other sniffed, barely suppressing his sobs.

"Perry, I won't tell Phineas and the others if you're worried. Whatever must've happened, it must've been horrible."

"Thank you, and it was horrible, I had never been so scared in my life when I was there. What happened in that second dimension, it didn't even come close," he added numbly, frantically wiping at his eyes.

He seriously needed to stop crying so much, he had to be tougher than this, not for his sake, but for the others.

"Tell me then, it might help."

Nodding, they finished making the beds and folding the rest of the clothes, taking a seat on the couch.

The teenager got up briefly, returning with a couple glasses of water, the two sipping lightly as she let the other take his time.

After a bit, he finally began telling her what he told Jeremy, explaining the horror he endured, telling her the things he's seen and heard.

He watched her expression, finding it very much the same as her boyfriend's, yet it seemed stronger, unsure what it was.

Maybe it had to do with the fact she had him and the boys, having the love of her life at her side?

"That's horrible," she breathed softly, grateful she didn't have her glass, knowing it would've fallen or cracked being held so tightly.

"It gets worse," he added nervously, knowing it had to be known at least to her.

"What do you mean?"

"There's a chance Danville doesn't exist anymore."

"What are you saying?"

"I don't know, those things that did this to me, one of them bragged about how she built a bomb that could destroy dimensions. But they were new and needed a place to test them in, and our world had been picked for destruction."

"So you're saying that…"

"Yeah, chances of finding more familiar faces are very slim."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I wasn't sure how you'd react. I can barely wrap my head around it myself. I was in so much pain, in so much emotional turmoil; I wanted to end it all. I wanted to just be back with all of you, my family, the very people who always loved me."

"Perry…" Candace whispered, wrapping her arms around the other as he felt himself breaking, leaning his head into her. "But if what you said is true, what they said is true…then that means Mom and Dad might be…"

"Dead, I know, I'm honestly praying that it isn't so, that they're alive, hopefully somewhere safe."

"I hope so too," Candace sighed as she continued comforting the former platypus as he silently cried into her.

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	9. Chapter 9

After his emotional break with Candace, Perry continued to put a strong front at least for the children, letting that wall down only around the teenagers.

They were far more mature than most would give them credit for, if not more so, likely because of what they've had to go through lately.

Eventually school started, the agent managing to help them get what they needed for school, having contacted the schools prior about the new transfers.

However, hoping things would be smoother with his boys and the others interacting with others their age group turned into a disaster.

The teens were better off, making a few friends or at least acquaintances to mingle with than being total social outcasts. With the kids though, they were tormented and teased, far worse than they might've ever gotten back home.

He felt horrible as did the teens, trying to comfort the kids whenever they came home sour or in tears, sometimes a mix of both in the little group.

One of the worst that just about sent Perry over the edge was seeing Isabella coming home, her hair hacked to pieces. He tried to get her to tell him, but she kept crying, hugging onto him, Buford having to explain what happened, being the strongest for them emotionally.

The humanized platypus continued feeling worse and worse, recalling how Baljeet, a child who adored education now shrieked and begged not to go to school. It broke his heart to hear the boy say that while still so young.

He had to find something to help them, scared that being their ages, being far more impressionable and emotional, they could do something drastic.

He's tried calling the school, but they give him half assed promises that they'd take care of it, making things worse in his opinion.

He groaned, letting his head hit the desk at work, wanting to cry in frustration, nearly jumping when a hand landed on his back.

"Sorry," a coworker apologized, pulling her hand back. "Wasn't sure if you were feeling well."

"You're right about that," he grumbled, pushing some papers away to avoid wrinkling him, knowing they have to be filed later.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concern in her voice as she leaned against the desk a bit to catch his unique eyes.

He wasn't sure how to answer her, the two weren't friends; sure they'd take turns getting coffee or pastries for one another during lunch. Sometimes they would even tag team to get their assignments done faster. They rarely talked aside greetings and farewells, maybe an occasional question of something random like music or something.

Sighing, figuring it probably couldn't hurt to make a friend, knowing they may be stuck here for a long time, he looked at her.

"It's the schools my younger brothers and their friends go too," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "They're complete asses; they won't help with the bullying problem, if anything, making it worse."

"That's awful."

"Isabella got attacked by some girls and nearly had all her hair cut off, Baljeet's gotten at least a broken nose twice. Phineas would be sobbing, confused and scared, Ferb's becoming quieter than normal, and Buford almost got suspended twice for _defending_ his friends. Not even the police will help, they just put me on hold for hours, as if I'm returning a product or something."

"Haven't you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"About three quarters of the police were murdered a few months ago."

"What?"

He was about to ask more before feeling his phone vibrate, color draining when he looked at who was calling.

"I'm sorry, I have to take this," he muttered, holding the phone to his ear, "Phineas, what's wrong?"

Why would he be calling now? Shouldn't he be at school? Did something…

**'****Perry,'** the boy's voice half sobbed, sending warning bells in the man's head.

"What's going on, Phineas? Just calm down and tell me what's wrong."

**'****Some mean kids really hurt Ferb and the others. There's a lot of blood.'**

"Shit," the agent cursed softly, not caring who heard him, including the scared boy. "Where are you now?"

**'****At the hospital, a nice man helped call the police,'** the boy cried, sounding just about hysterical.

"It's okay, I'm on my way right now, just be strong and keep talking to me," he comforted, knowing that if he tried hanging up, the kid might lose it.

He was already on his way up, his coworker stating she'll tell the boss that a family emergency happened and had to see to it.

He thanked her quickly before running out, phone kept close as he threw his coat on clumsily, hailing a cab. No time to wait for a bus or exhaust himself getting to the hospital on foot, it was too far.

It took him two tries to get a cab, the first one, someone slammed into him, pushing him out of the way, in a sense, stealing his ride.

**'****Perry?'**

"I'm okay, kiddo, just bumped my arm is all, nothing serious," he lied, his arm feeling like it was on fire.

The stiches had since been removed, Jeremy showing excellent precision to remove them, wondering where he learned such a skill.

Yet, despite how far along his arms have come healing, they were still very tender and sensitive. Didn't help that the gashes remained, forcing him to continue wearing long sleeved shirts despite the heat and now having them itch once in a while.

Eventually he arrived, finding the small redhead, hanging up as did he when they ran into each other's arms.

"Perry!" he sobbed, face covered in tears and mucus.

"_Shh_…_shh_…it's okay now, Phineas, I'm here, I'm here," he comforted, picking the boy up into his arms, feeling his legs wrap around his waist to hang on.

Spotting a couple of men talking, he walked over when seeing one of them was a police officer.

"What the fuck happened here?" the agent asked, wishing he didn't curse like that based on the boy's whimper, but he was so pissed off.

"I'm getting to that, but the kid wouldn't stop gabbing on the phone," the officer spat as he crossed his arms.

"He was terrified when he called me; I let him talk to me than hang up. I was afraid of what would happen if I did. If you're going to be pissed off about that, then you honestly don't know your job."

"Fuck off!" the uniformed man spat, the two in a glaring contest before the other decided to intervene, pushing between them, separating the men.

"Enough, I told you what I know. Give the kid a moment to calm down," he spat, glaring at the officer who seethed as he walked off, likely to check on the other kids and try to get statements from them. "Asshole."

"Thanks, if I didn't have my brother in my arms, I might've socked him and landed in jail," Perry sighed as they sat down in a chair.

He felt the weight in his arms having gotten limp, finding the poor boy had cried himself to sleep or just about based on his sniffles.

"No problem, so you're the big brother he was fussing over, wanting here to make things better? Can see why, practically conked out second you held him. You must have some magic to do that," the other man joked lightly.

"You said you told the officer what you knew, did you see what happened?" he asked, careful of his tone and words so not to disturb the frazzled boy.

Watching the other man, he took in his features, seeing he was dressed in a white business shirt, a light blue, almost powdery jacket with blue jeans and canvas sneakers.

He was fair skinned with shoulder length white hair tied back in a braid, sky blue eyes watching him.

Something in the back of the agent's mind told him that there was something familiar about him, but he reluctantly ignored that voice.

Now wasn't the time to go secret agent, he had his family to focus on and so far, this guy was okay in his book. He likely just saved Phineas and the others' lives.

"Not the entire thing, but enough to get the gist," the other answered, the agent almost missing his words.

"What did you see then? I'm sorry for bugging like this; I'm just worried about my family, about our friends."

"Don't worry about it; I'd be the same way if I had kids to watch. From what I saw, it looked like some snot nosed brats ambushed them and started whaling on them, calling them names. Damn bastards actually had some gear to hurt them."

"Oh god…"

"No knives or guns thankfully, but the big kid took a bat to the cranium, surprised he was actually still standing and not out cold."

"That's Buford for you, I swear he's like a goddamn tank," Perry joked softly as he rocked the boy in his arms. "But why didn't the teachers stop them?"

"No clue, but I saw what happened, jumped the fence and chased the little bastards off before calling 911."

"I see…" the teal haired man sighed, now beginning to fear for the kids' lives.

"Perry?" a small voice groaned, revealing to be the small redhead as he blinked himself more awake, appearing a little better.

"Hey, what happened? I know it's tough, but I need to know what happened."

Remembering what landed them all here; he looked down, "We didn't do anything to those kids. They just came up on us, calling us awful names. They called me a fag…I don't even know what that means!"

"It's not a good one, that's for sure," the mystery man grumbled, clearly ticked off at the attackers.

"What they did they say exactly?"

"They said they didn't want us here. They wanted Buford, Baljeet, Isabella, not even Ferb here, telling them to go back to their own country. Why would they say those awful things?"

Gritting his teeth slightly, he hugged the boy closer before getting to his feet, setting him down in his seat.

Before he could ask, he gave him a reassuring smile, "I wanna give Candace and Jeremy a call, let them know where we all are and wait for us back home. I kinda doubt we'll all be going home as a group, heard Buford took a hard hit. So I can only guess that he'll be staying here a bit longer."

"Yeah, he did get hurt pretty badly. He tried to stop them from kicking Baljeet and Ferb. I tried to stop them too, but I was held back. I…I couldn't do anything when they were hurting everyone. Isabella even got her hand cut when she got pushed to the ground. If it wasn't for him, they would've continued hurting us, I'm sure of it."

"I can't thank you enough stepping in like that. You're actually the first person to even show an ounce of humanity to any of us since we moved here."

"It's no problem, I'll watch the kid while you make the call," the other reassured when the boy tried to stay with the agent, reluctantly staying put.

Stepping out, he called the girl, leaving her a message, knowing how much she's practically addicted to these silly things back in Danville.

When he came back, he saw the redhead sipping a soda, the officer back, getting a full statement now, the child looking less frantic.

"Alright, thanks for telling me everything, we'll find these kids and make sure their families are notified."

"They never hurt us like this before, but they do pick on us along with a bunch others in our school. They throw spitballs at my friends and my brother, even me. They almost cut all of Isabella's hair off and would steal pencils from Baljeet right when we're to have a test and the teacher won't loan him one nor let any of us loan him one."

"I see…I'll take a look at the school too."

Hearing the officer sounding much calmer, he almost did a double take seeing that the grump he dealt with before wasn't the same one.

"You're his brother I presume?" the officer asked when he turned around to leave, likely to send his report in.

"Yeah, I am."

"Seems like a sweet kid, shame he has to put up with that kind of shit, same with the rest of your family and their friends."

"They don't deserve this kind of treatment, but no one at the school seems to care as I'm sure you're seeing just from his words."

"I noticed, then again with the diclonii issue, they're more focused trying to stay alive than being happy."

"I guess that's true."

"I don't know where you must've lived previously, but I suggest you get back there when you can for the children's sake."

"Been thinking the same thing," Perry sighed, careful with his words.

"I gotta get going, and I'll give that jackass a firm scolding for treating your little brother like crap."

"Thank you."

He watched as the officer left, letting him sit down with Phineas in the spare seat, giving him a comforting look.

"He was much nicer than the other officer," the redhead muttered softly as he continued sipping his drink.

"Did he get you that soda?"

"No, that was Dennis," he stated, glancing at the other man.

"Dennis?"

"Dennis Durani, to be exact, figured it'd be fair to introduce myself."

"Perry Fletcher-Flynn; this is my younger brother, Phineas."

"Fletcher-Flynn?"

"Our parents married, my mom, big sister, and I have Flynn in our names. Ferb and our dad have Fletcher. Perry was adopted sometime after they married when we were really little," the redhead lied perfectly.

The teal haired agent feeling bad he's having to do that, but knew that it was for the best for everyone.

All he had to do was pray that this Dennis guy will buy it, especially since it is true for the most part, the only lie being about _how_ he becomes part of the family.

"That's actually rather cute," the white haired man chuckled as he ruffled the boy's hair, getting a smile from him.

"Thanks."

Seeing a doctor coming their way, Perry got up once more, leaving the two to talk, seeing that the boy had taken a shine to him.

He trusted Phineas enough not to go off with him if offered, the kid may be naïve, but he isn't stupid.

"How bad are their injuries?" the agent asked, crossing his arms, barely hiding a wince from the action.

"One had a concussion from taking a bat to the head; he's covered in bruises, but managed to avoid broken bones. But I suggest that he stay a night or two because of the head injury as a precaution. The girl needed a few stitches on her hand, but other than that, a few bumps and scrapes. The green haired boy suffered a sprained ankle and minor injuries, mostly cuts and bruises."

"What about Baljeet?"

"He's fine, but he'll have to stay a few days though. He suffered some bruising in the ribs and a fracture in his arm."

"Oh god…" the teal haired man groaned, running his hand through his hair, feeling awful for the kids.

"I hate to be rude, but we aren't some charity service. I hope you have good insurance," the doctor stated as he pulled out a piece of paper, revealing that everything had been calculated.

"What…what the…I can't pay this! I don't have this kind of money," Perry gasped when staring at the numbers for the entire thing.

Oh how he wished he had some idea how to get access to his account from home, then he wouldn't be having this problem in the first place.

"Should've thought of that before letting them get into fights," the doctor spat, giving the other a look. "Either find a way to pay…" he started before Phineas ran up, clinging to shaking man's shirt.

"Perry, what's wrong?"

Dennis walked over, glancing at the numbers, blue eyes widening in surprise as he saw how pale the other looked.

Before anyone could react, he pulled out a checkbook, glancing at the numbers, writing it down, tearing it off and handed it to the doctor.

"That should cover it," he spoke, the doctor apparently accepting it as he walked away to have it handed to the receptionist and treat other patients.

"Dennis?" the redhead muttered, surprised as was the other.

"You didn't have to do that," Perry spoke as the other gave him a sympathetic look, giving an almost shy smile.

"You guys look like you're tight on money, least I can do, my fault you're in this mess financially. If I don't help, my wife would kill me, especially if I broke up your family because of it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, we can always talk later how to make it up," the other reassured in a joking manner, clearly not bothered with the amount he spent.

Whoever this guy is, he was a lifesaver, enough where Perry wanted to cry in relief, thanking this guy nonstop.

"I don't know how to thank you for this," the platypus half sobbed, relieved of it all, Phineas looking relieved when he hugged their apparent friend tightly.

He managed to gather the kids save for those who had to stay at the hospital longer, the two thankfully sharing a room than forced into separate ones.

Walking back, Dennis helped carry Isabella on his back, the small girl thanking the man for helping them when Phineas told her and Ferb what happened.

"Your hair is really soft, Mr. Durani," Isabella complimented when she let her good hand touch the shimmering locks.

"Thanks, my wife loves it too; she can't get enough brushing it like I was a little kid. Hopefully when we _do_ eventually have kids, they'll have soft hair too for her to go nuts over," he joked, a light blush forming on his face.

"Your wife's pregnant?" she asked, clearly fascinated as were the others.

"Not yet, but we keep trying."

"I hope you get lucky," Ferb spoke softly, taken up being carried on Perry's back as the girl has been.

"Thanks, I hope so too."

Tugging his sleeve gently, Phineas gave his once pet a slightly nervous look, having him pause, as did the other adult to listen. Wanting to be of help, he offered to carry his brother's crutches along with anything else they were given, namely a few antibiotics for the girl's hand and such.

"I know we're tight on money, but could we at least invite Dennis over for a drink, maybe dinner as a thank you?"

"What do you say, Dennis? Care to join us for dinner? I know we're tight on funds, but not so tight not to at least treat a guest," Perry joked, seeing the other smile.

"If you don't find me intruding, I wouldn't mind. It'd give us a chance to talk more; it'd be nice if we could become friends."

"That'd be nice, so far my only friends are these guys," Perry joked, earning himself a playful tug of his hair from a half pouting Ferb.

The other three laughed, the agent joking to the green haired boy at how he's being so cruel.

Eventually they found themselves at the apartment, the white haired man led up the steps, Phineas unlocking and letting everyone in.

Once inside, Ferb set onto a couch, the redhead sat with his brother, leaning the crutches near the other.

"Are you guys okay?" Candace asked, having heard the door open, her and Jeremy walking over with worry.

"How many people do you have crammed in here?" Dennis asked, raising a brow as he set Isabella down to talk with the teenager.

The blonde sat with the boys, talking with them, likely the same thing his girlfriend talked about.

"Just us as well as the two back at the hospital," Perry laughed nervously, hoping the other won't question it.

"I see, at least it seems you have something planned if you could fit that many in here to begin with."

"Wasn't easy, though I end up passing out on the couch most of the time when I get home. I'm thinking of trading the couch for one with a built in bed since I practically sleep here at night."

"I know a few stores if you want to find one cheap but useable, wouldn't help if you got one that made you ache waking up."

"That'd be great, guess you had a similar time like us?"

"A little, though it was more just my wife and myself, though I'm impressed you were able to furnish the place so well."

"About that…most of the stuff was already here, figured whoever lived here last either moved out in a hurry or they were thrown out for not paying rent."

"Talk about lucky."

"Tell me about it."

"So how long have you guys lived here?"

"We moved to town a few months back, but were bouncing around a bit because of money before we finally settled here couple months ago."

"If there's ever a time you and those two needed time out of the place, my wife and I can watch the kids. Just give us a call to make sure we're home and not out on our own dinner date or something."

"That's kind of you, but you honestly don't have to. I feel bad enough as is that you ended up paying my bill."

"I know, I guess I feel guilty for putting you in that position," Dennis laughed nervously as he scratched his head. "Plus, I've been around this neighborhood a few times when I go on walks; I know it's not the best place for kids to hang around play."

"That's true…"

"So, if you don't mind them being watched at my place, they'd do better. There are a lot of kids there that are just sweethearts. I know from meeting them either from my wife and invited to neighborhood picnics or dealing with them at Halloween."

"Thank you, I really appreciate the kindness and I'll honestly keep it in mind," Perry spoke softly, trying to choose his words wisely. "But don't be upset if I act overly cautious with someone I just met. We just moved here, we've been through a lot lately, and now this… I'm honestly scared about losing my family. I hope you can understand what I'm saying."

"I don't blame you, I'm sorry for just jumping in like this, we _did_ just meet. I was only trying to make a good impression. Guess I screwed that up pretty nicely, huh?" the white haired man laughed nervously.

"How about we agree that we both screwed up?" the other adult joked, earning a cheeky grin from the other.

"Deal," he laughed, the two shaking hands.

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><p><strong><em>Please read and review.<em>**


	10. Chapter 10

During dinner, the group talked and laughed, coming up with some jokes, Phineas obviously feeling ten times better by how bright he looked.

"Ah, so only, you, Candace, Phineas and Ferb are actually related, the rest are under your guardianship. Is that right?" Dennis asked, not minding the simple dinner that had been handed to him, a glass of water sitting near his side.

"Yeah, course only Candace and Phineas are related by blood, the two of us were adopted later on. And I only recently became the legal guardian over the remainders," Perry chuckled as he ruffled the silent boy's hair, earning himself a halfhearted glare from him as he bore a small smirk.

"But man though, you picked the worst time to move, especially after what happened recently."

"What happened?" the redhead asked abruptly, the other taking notice of the naïve innocence on him and the other kids present.

The others seeing him trying to come up with something, Perry was the first to figure it out, quick on his feet as usual.

"You're talking about the multiple robberies putting the town in the red financially? Yeah, we sort of found out last minute, by then we didn't have money to pack up what we had and turn back."

"Yeah, that…it's been pretty bad, that's why they're so little officers out patrolling the streets and such. They had to do a lot of cuts, so a lot of people are out of work due to businesses closing and such," Dennis added almost nervously.

He could see that the kids didn't fully believe him, but the other two were willing to accept it, but not the redhead based on his determined look.

"But I haven't seen that many closed shops …" Phineas started to argue before being interrupted, a firm hand landing on his small shoulder.

"It's in downtown, the part where little kids shouldn't go to begin with. So I hope don't find you _or_ the others down there anytime soon," Perry added with a bit of warning, the boy nodding at that.

After they finished eating, changing the conversation to happier ones for now, the kids were eventually sent off to bed, the teens heading to bed as well.

"Want me to walk you home or at least until you get a cab or something?" Perry offered to his newly acquainted friend.

"Sure and sorry for nearly letting it slip back there. Guess those kids haven't heard about the slaughter?" Dennis thanked as they stepped outside to talk freely.

"Obviously," Perry stated, "but to be honest, I kinda just heard about it. Things have been so crazy with us; I hadn't been keeping up with the news."

"Sheesh," the other breathed as he gave the other a look, "by the way, how old is your kid brother?"

"Turning thirteen next year, same with the rest of the kids," Perry answered, seeing the look given to him. "I know it seems crazy to protect him and the others like this, but where we came from, death wasn't a common thing."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, they know about it, but not in a way to talk about it so casually as people seem to do here."

"How so?"

"Well, I remember when our parents took us to the museum and somehow a dog we used to own was on display. The sight alone nearly blew their cover that he went to live on a farm when falling ill. Course, it didn't help that the mentioned farmer was _also_ on display too. Thankfully our dad saved the day by distracting the boys with milkshakes than trying to explain why their dog and the kindly farmer were in the museum."

"Wow, but you may want to mention it or at least let him know that it is sadly more common here if he is completely oblivious to what's going on."

"I know, been trying to think of a way, same with Candace and Jeremy, but we're pretty stumped. Some of them are really sensitive; it seems rather cruel to go and ruin what's left of their innocence with such cold reality."

"I know what you mean exactly."

"Really?"

"Yeah, the job I mentioned earlier? Seri and I are part of a group that helps a lot of orphaned children who've been basically thrown away and left to die at young ages. We also take in runaways; we even go into hospitals to pick up children that have been abandoned callously or have lost parents, but local orphanages refuse to take in."

"I never heard of a group like that."

"Yeah, it was recently formed, hence why."

"Hey Dennis, mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure, fire away."

"Well…god I'm going to sound like a retarded ass, but since we moved here, I've tried a few times to do some research…"

"What is it? Can't be that bad."

"What are diclonii? I've heard about them so far, but more in hushed whispers, not enough to actually dare myself to ask them."

The white haired man nearly tripped, sputtering a curse as he stared at the other as if he grew another head.

"Seriously? You have _no_ clue about them?" the white haired man nearly shouted, his jaw hanging slightly in shock.

"Sorry, I lived in a pretty secluded place before we were forced to move," the agent pouted, shoving his hands into his pocket.

Shaking his head, muttering something in what sounded like Arabic, he gave the other a sympathetic look.

"I suggest that you start telling your brothers, _all_ of them about death _real_ fast, because it's a day to day thing outside wherever the hell you came from."

"What _are_ diclonii? Are they some terrorist group?"

"No."

"A gang in town?"

"No."

"Then what the hell _are_ they?" Perry nearly shouted, getting frustrated by the other's vague answers.

"Humans, only very, _very_ special."

"What do you mean?"

"Diclonii are a recently discovered evolution within the human race. They have some features about them that make them very identifiable, but for the most part, are hard to tell. Depending on age, they could disguise themselves rather well, literally hiding in plain sight, but it isn't easy as more ways to find them are made each day."

"What do they look like?"

"Like your average human, though some do possess traits most humans don't have, namely the color of their hair and eyes. I'm sure you must've gotten complaints from the school about Ferb's hair?"

"Yeah, I did actually, but his hair _is_ natural, but they still bug me about it with a note home or calling the house. Same with how vibrant Phineas and Candace's hair is. I even got a call that Isabella wasn't allowed to wear her hair ribbon on top of her head anymore, it really upset her next to having it cut up like that."

"Just that alone probably sent some alarms that they could've been diclonii, and if you knew about them, you'd understand. Fact they're still with you, probably to avoid suspicion, they put them all through multiple screenings to ensure they aren't, nor infected, the boys that is."

"What else about these diclonii should I know about?" Perry asked, now starting to get scared, not just for himself, but for the others, the children especially.

"When they first started showing up in Japan, they would have varying shades of hair between pink and red, sometimes even purple or bluish. There have even been some born with somewhat common hair colors, but at the same time not common based on ethnicity, such as blondes born in an Asian family with black and brown hair. And speaking _of_ ethnicity, despite it, all diclonii have been Caucasian to date, a trait they likely inherited from the original generations. There has yet to be one found with a different skin color."

"So they have some odd hair and eye colors your average person doesn't have, but I still don't really get it."

"They're born with a mass of bone and cartilage on their heads. To give you an idea on how they look, they sort of look like cat ears."

"You mean, they…they have horns?"

"Pretty much, but these horns are a result from the pineal gland having expanded, granting them a very special, and _very_ dangerous gift."

"A…a gift?" Perry stuttered, stopping in his tracks, staring at the other's back, feeling his body beginning to shake. "What _kind_ of gift?"

"Gift, curse, however you view it, how diclonii themselves view it. But what it is, what they have, is a unique telepathic ability. With little effort they can create protrusions invisible to the naked eye."

"But if…" Perry started before the other interrupted.

"However, they can be seen, usually through intense training to locate slight shifts in the air or ground where the vectors are lying in wait. Then there's the fact that every diclinous has unique traits regarding their vectors, from their reach, their ability, and how fast they can use them in general."

"I can understand people being spooked, but how dangerous are they?"

"_Very_ dangerous," Dennis sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, pitying the man next to him. "Vectors, when seen, they appear as hands and arms extending from their backs. On average, they only reach a few meters, though some have been found to reach longer, either with age or based on their generation. But what makes them so dangerous than difficulty seeing them is the strength they carry."

"Strength?"

"Yeah, but its more than that alone. They can become intangible too, meaning they can go through anything and anyone if they wished. At the same time, they can touch whatever the hell they want. If they want an apple from the tree, they can grab it, phasing through all the others that are rotten or aren't ripe enough."

"So they could go through a wall and rip someone apart if they wished?"

"Not wish, they _can_, they _will_, and worst of all, they _do_."

"Oh my god, what kind of town did we land ourselves in?"

"I don't know where you lived prior, but diclonii are just about everywhere, so you would be dealing with them regardless. Add that with the recent economy crash and it's just about a hell on earth. Between banks and the government in general being shitheads and now rogue groups going around to try and deal with the diclonii problem, I'm surprised a lot of towns are as stable as they are."

"What the hell am I going to do?"

"Easy, Perry," Dennis comforted, seeing the man looked ready to throw up, walking over to rub his back. "I know it's a lot to take in, but diclonii, despite what you may hear or read about, they aren't _that_ dangerous."

"What do you _mean_ by that?" he nearly spat, looking up at the other's face.

"They only are because most of them are children who don't know how to properly control them. Most of them are letting their emotions get the better of them as any kid does. Most don't have any actual desire to hurt and infect people, let alone kill them. The few who do are the ones you need to watch out for and likely the ones who suffered the most emotional harm."

"This group you spoke of before…you don't save just random orphans, do you?"

Seeing eyes going downcast, it was enough to confirm it, wondering why the man let himself be found out so easily.

"They're just kids, most of them at least. They don't deserve to be treated like trash, like lab rats even."

Perry cringed at how harsh the other sounded, starting to pity the man and these so called diclonii.

"Yes, they're dangerous, yes they can kill and to an extent, _want_ to kill humans, but it's more from nurture than nature. Very few have a natural desire to freely kill people, having had no psychological damage done to them."

"What?"

"They have other traits thanks to their gland being expanded."

"Tell me then, please."

"For the most part, they can sense one another out, seeking each other out far easier than simply wandering aimlessly. And from what we've collected when talking with the older kids and past research notes collected, sometimes communicate telepathically when they need to."

"But it isn't just that, is it?"

Dennis shook his head, a visible frown on his face, "I will be honest, I am scared of them, but not the individual child. What I fear the most are their instincts. If it's given a chance to awaken completely and turn them, it'll be almost impossible to save them."

"You make it sound as if it's a separate entity."

"In some ways, it is," he sighed as the two found someplace private to sit and chat without having to look over his shoulder too much.

"How so?"

"Unlike how most would think of instincts, a diclinous' instinct _literally_ talks to them, one we've dubbed as the DNA Voice. We have no idea how to counter it without hurting them, so we try to love and nurture them when they're still very young. We care and raise them as equals, slowly revealing the world's cruelty so they can adjust and not panic on the spot."

"I can understand that," Perry sighed before hearing the other continuing almost in a ramble.

"But it isn't the voice alone I worry about; I worry on their mental stability to begin with. Just about every diclonii found and recorded, ones saved or had been cruelly experimented on have mental diseases, usually forming from the abuse they endure. They could range from schizophrenia to having OCD and variety of others making them far more difficult to deal with."

"So they have a lot of problems than their horns and discrimination alone."

"I wish it _was_ simple discrimination, it'd make this so much easier to handle them. No, people _want_ them dead. The infants we rescue? We have to steal them before doctors have a chance to euthanize them or sell them to some research facility."

"Oh my god," the teal haired man whimpered softly, his mind flashing back to his own trauma as being experimented on. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"You mean beside the fact that you have no idea the danger you and your family are in?" the white haired man half joked, giving the other a firm pat on the back.

"Okay, you got me on that; I _did_ bring it on myself."

"But I'm glad you asked, you get the real source than believing the lies told by others, whether they're blogs or news stations."

"I guess so, but what should I do if I ever saw one? If Phineas or any of the others spotted one when coming or going to school? At a park or anywhere for that matter?"

"If you see one or what looks like one, put as much distance between you two as possible. And if you get a chance, call me immediately, tell me where they were, but do not tail them. Even if they don't see you, you could attract unnecessary attention of others, causing a potential panic."

"Alright."

"It's okay; I'm not saying you'd suck, but better play it safe. Some of these kids, being as they _are_ kids, only ones that can rip you apart like tissue paper, they can be pretty sneaky. My group has experience dealing with them between negotiating if they're older and understand, or we use armor piercing guns to shoot tranquilizers into them, knocking them out. We'll take them to a facility and let them adjust, interact with other kids like them and us so they can heal and grow safely."

"I guess, but it's hard to wrap my head around why they would be so violent regardless," Perry sighed, feeling like his whole world was turning upside down again.

"I can tell you more later on if you'd like. Right now it's late and you have work tomorrow I presume?" Dennis spoke as the two slowly got back up.

"Yeah, I do, I have the weekend off though."

"Alright, then come to my place this Saturday. Seri can entertain the kids while I give you a full history lesson about diclonii. Same if those two…Jeremy and Candace if I remember right, are interested. They seem mature enough to handle it and it might make it easier explaining it to the others, especially Phineas."

At this point, they were just about at the house, the former platypus surprised how nice it looked, the neighborhood itself looking much nicer too as he had been told.

"I want to ask one thing before we part ways."

"If you're wondering why I told you about them so thoroughly, that's because a diclinous, a _single_ diclinous slaughtered all those cops."

Perry could feel the color drain from his person, feeling lightheaded, just barely getting it together when seeing the worried look.

"Sorry, just the thought that a child could've killed all those people…"

"Whoever she is, it was out of self-defense."

"I figured, but what could've provoked her to that extreme, or even the cops to target her in such a large number."

Turning his head to the ground, the white haired man gave the ground a hard glare as if it were to blame.

"A friend of mine in the organization works for the morgue. He studied the bodies brought in, the two civilians, they didn't die by this diclinous' hands. They were already dead from bullets by the cops when comparing the rounds. I can only guess they were the kid's parents and were hiding her and the cops found out and deciding to butcher them all than simply arresting."

"You seem angrier about it," Perry asked, not that he could blame him.

He could feel his own hands clenching, trying to keep his temper under control at the thought that the people who were killed.

Not only were they innocent, but left behind a child because of those bastards!

He wasn't sure if he should be glad they were dead or more terrified that a child was the very cause.

However, his mind went blank at the next thing the other said.

"The woman killed was with child."

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